They Don't Know You Like I Do
by i-can-see-the-stars
Summary: Seth likes Roman, Roman likes Dean, Dean likes Seth, and their families don't know a thing. Teenage Ambrolleigns.
1. He Isn't You

please forgive me, this idea came to me at 12 am in the form of a little mix song. this chapter features some unrequited rolleigns, a mildly spoiled seth, and a broken-hearted dean.

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><p>"Oh, man, I am so happy school is out!"<p>

"Yeah, that's all fine and dandy, but please stop swinging your backpack around, you're gonna hurt someone."

Roman earned a scoff and Seth's favorite finger in his direction. School was finally out, yeah, but there was no point in Seth swinging his piece-of-shit backpack around, by the broken strap no less. Roman had a careless arm thrown over Dean's shoulders while Seth trailed a few feet in front of them, all on their way to Roman's house. He only lived a few blocks away from the school, so his house almost always had Seth and Dean in it.

As previously mentioned, school was out, and damn, it felt good. Miraculously, they all made it to the next grade, Dean by the skin of his teeth, Seth with straight c's (that he was all too proud of), and Roman with flying colors. Being the eldest of the three, Roman was going into his senior year while Dean and Seth were going into their junior year. Roman wasn't sure how he kept his focus this year, especially considering how eventful of a school year it was. A whirlwind would be a gross understatement. Dean was suspended, twice, Seth almost moved, Roman almost died on the football field, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Rome."

"Hm?"

"I thought we were going to your house, not Randy's...?"

Roman hadn't realized that he zoned out, and had practically been dragging Dean for almost a block. He looked over at Dean and chuckled at the blonde's almost frightened face.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that," Roman said sheepishly, turning around and walking back toward his house, where Seth was waiting and still swinging his backpack.

"Forgot where you lived for a second?" Seth laughed and began walking towards Roman's front door.

"Shut up."

The boys barreled into Roman's house, dropping their bags by the door and walking into the living room. They greeted Roman's mom with a chorus of "Hi, mom!"'s - _you dicks, she's my mom!_ - and they went upstairs to Roman's room. Dean pulled his bean bag chair out from under Roman's bed while Roman plopped down on the bed itself, and Seth threw himself across the foot of the bed.

"I can't believe you're a senior already." The youngest of the three muttered, smacking Roman's leg lightly. "You're gonna leave me, you dumb old man."

"What makes you think that?" Roman asked, sitting back against his headboard.

"Your grades are fucking exceptional, and you play football," Seth retorted. "If you don't get into a college then I don't know who will."

"Definitely neither of us," Dean chimed from his spot on the bean bag chair. Roman was still in the dark about where Dean got said chair, but he didn't think he wanted to know. Dean dragged it in one Saturday afternoon, and dumped it in Roman's room without a word.

"Exactly. You're going to college next year, and you're gonna leave me all alone," Seth threw a dramatic hand over his chest. "My Roman is leaving me!"

"Shut up man, you'll have Dean."

"But Dean isn't you."

Dean looked down at his lap. If the truth wasn't clear enough, it was finally spoken: he wasn't Roman. Never was, never will be. Even if they were far away from the day, Roman was still leaving. To where, they didn't know, but he was leaving, and Dean and Seth were going to have to learn to function without the oldest teen. Dean didn't want to think of the future, and how he'd inevitably have to replace Roman for Seth's sake, seeing as it was still a year away. He tried to focus on the conversation that was taking place, but all Dean could think of was Seth's comment. The way he said it, in such an off-handed manner, like he didn't even care that he'd just broken Dean to pieces.

"Well, uh..." Dean cleared his throat and stood up. "I'm gonna go."

"What?" Roman asked, shuffling to the foot of the bed on his knees. "Why? I thought you were sleeping over tonight?"

"Somethin' came up, I gotta go help my mom," Dean said, walking to Roman's door and opening it. "I'll see you guys later." And with that, he was gone.

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><p>"You think he's okay?"<p>

Seth sighed and sat up. Roman had been asking about Dean for the past hour-and-a-half, and Seth was getting tired of it. He seemed fine at first, but as time went on Seth could see Roman getting gradually more worried. Hours had passed since Dean left, and with a quick glance at the clock on Roman's nightstand Seth saw that it was almost midnight. The younger teen looked down at Roman, who was laying down on his bed. His long hair was out of its usual ponytail, and was spread across his pillow in a way that resembled the roots of a tree. When his eyes weren't glued to his phone, more than likely waiting for a text from Dean, they were focused on the ceiling, his lips pouting in thought. Seth found himself staring at the plump, pink lips, and he couldn't help but feel almost _drawn _to them.

Over the last few months, Seth had been feeling things. Like, romantic, sexual _things._ Of course, that's normal for a 16-year-old, but what wasn't normal - at least, to Seth - was to feel them towards your best friends. Your_ male_ best friend. Seth would catch himself staring at Roman like he stared at a girl; watching the way his butt moved as he walked away, looking at his lips when he talked, admiring how pretty his eyes were. The weirdest part was that Seth didn't feel weird about it. He accepted that Roman was really good-looking, and that he probably wasn't as much of a ladies man that he prided himself on being, but he was okay with it. It was actually fun admiring Roman, considering there was so much to admire.

"Seth?"

"Yeah?" Seth dragged his gaze from Roman's big hands - _how did it even get there? _- and looked at Roman.

"You alright? You've been staring into space for the past, like, five minutes."

_Space. _Yeah, let's call it that. Seth chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm good, man."

Roman nodded and checked his phone once more. It bothered Seth a lot more than it should that Dean's non-existent text messages were getting more attention than him. For as long as he could remember, Seth _always_ had Roman's full attention when they were together. Call him spoiled, but Seth had just grown so accustomed to Roman's attentiveness. Roman was a naturally caring person - truthfully, it ran in the family - and Seth was one of the only people who got to experience that side of the older teen. Well, other than Dean.

It's not like Seth didn't like Dean, because he did, he just didnt understand how easily he caught Roman's attention. Dean didn't even _want _it at first. He hated Roman when they first met, but Roman had to go and be his charming-ass self and make Dean like him. Seth was still convinced that Dean didn't like him, even if the older teen constantly assured him that he had nothing against him. That didn't stop Seth from being suspicious, though. He sighed, just loud enough to catch Roman's attention, and got no reaction. He sighed again, this time louder and a bit more dramatic, and Roman sat up, placing his phone on his nightstand and looking at Seth.

"Yes, Seth?"

"You're ignoring me," Seth says flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No I'm not," Roman chuckled. Abruptly, though, he stopped, seeing as Seth wasn't laughing, or even smiling. "Why would you say that?"

"You keep looking at your phone. It's like I'm not even here." Seth fell back onto Roman's bed, burying his face in one of Roman's pillows.

"I'm not ignoring you, Seth," Roman says softly, placing a hand on Seth's back. "I'm just worried about Dean." And he was. Dean never left like that, ever.

"You're always worried about Dean," Seth rolled over onto his back, prompting Roman to retract his hand. "What happened to me? Do you like him better or something?"

Roman hesitated. Like, opened-his-mouth-but-closed-it-really-quickly _hesitated_. He seemed to recover rather quickly, though, and Seth didn't like it. "Seth, what is up with you? I like you two equally, you're both my best friends. You're still my favorite little drama queen," Roman reached out and ruffled Seth's dark hair, which was now brushing over his shoulders. Seth pushed his hand away, but Roman could see the little smile playing on his lips. "What's wrong, Seth?"

Seth just shook his head and reached for Roman's hand. "Nothin'..." He mumbles, idly playing with Roman's fingers. Roman raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "I said nothing, dude."

"Alright..." Roman sighed, using his free hand to run through his hair.

"There we go," Seth smiled slightly and used his grip on Roman's hand to pull him down next to him. "Now stay here. I'm cold." Seth rolled from his back on onto his stomach, half him on top of Roman.

"How are you cold?" Roman asked, looking down at Seth with confusion. But he still wriggled his arm out from under Seth and threw it around the smaller teen's shoulders, his other hand resting on his back.

"Your house is cold, dude." Seth laid his head on Roman's chest and closed his eyes. Things like this were normal for them. What would be considered cuddling by others was considered just hanging out to them, and Seth loved it.

Roman an just shook his head and let his own eyes drift closed, but not without a final glance at his phone.

* * *

><p>Dean raked a hand through his disheveled hair and sighed as his phone buzzed again, more than likely with another text from Roman. Part of him wanted to appreciate Roman's concern, and tell the older teen that he was alright, but that part was the minority in this dispute. Instead of giving Roman peace-of-mind, he opted to give him an anxiety attack and not respond. Dean loved Roman, no doubt, but the kid was too fucking attentive, <em>clingy<em> almost. Constantly checking up on Dean, making sure he was safe and hadn't gotten himself into trouble. A normal, smart person would be grateful for such a friend, but Dean was neither, and he often called Roman out on his behavior. The older would back off, but as soon as Dean left his house, Dean would be getting his mother-like text messages:_ "Are you alright?", "Did you get home okay?", "Text me when you get home please."_ Good intentions, but annoying as fuck. Dean hated it.

Which was funny, considering that was the literal _only_ way to describe Seth, and Dean liked him just fine. A bit more than he should, really. Dean saw nothing wrong with the way he felt about Seth, he just saw it as liking him better than he likes anyone else. Seth was funny, and surprisingly innocent, considering who his best friends were. Not to mention he was kind of adorable as hell. The way his dark eyes seemed to light up when something he liked, like wrestling or his favorite band, was mentioned, and the little gap in his front teeth that made his otherwise perfect smile even better; Dean liked it all. The one problem was that Seth didn't feel the same way. He hardly treated Dean as the "best friend" he called him, let alone like a potential crush.

Crush. How appropriate, because that was the only way to describe how Dean felt. As soon as he got home, he went to his room and locked himself inside. His phone was somewhere on the floor, the ringer just loud enough that he could hear Roman's messages coming in, but he wasn't focused on that. No, Dean was focused on a certain comment from Seth.

_Dean isn't you._

As if he didn't know. Roman was literally an angel on earth, and Dean was..._Dean_. He wasn't anything special, he was a below-average student with a shitty attitude that lived a lower-middle-class life. But Roman, man, he was something else. He was polite, and sweet, and caring, and was smart as can be, and not to mention he was already a fucking stud in the looks department. Everyone liked him, including Seth. But Dean would never blame Seth's apparent distaste for him on Roman, though. Not only was he nice and caring and all that bullshit, but he was ridiculously humble. He fucking _blushed _when anyone complemented anything of his.

Dean was in over his head. Like, fucking _drowning_ in feelings for Seth. The younger teen didn't like him, and Dean had accepted that, but he still liked Seth. He didn't want to think about his feelings, at least, not right now. He reached over and turned his lamp off before falling back onto his bed and closing his eyes, still fully clothed. He'd deal with his clothes tomorrow, just like he'd deal with Roman's over-bearing-ness and Seth's annoying attractive face.

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><p>well. this is my other chapter story! this is the single longest thing i've written on here (2,363 words wo author's notes), and i'm really proud. i'm not sure where my character portrayals came from, but i think we can all deal with a spoiled, dramatic, roman-itized seth and a lovesick dean. next chapter we'll get some insight into the mind of roman himself, and we'll get a little more rolleigns. reviews are welcomed with open arms!


	2. Talk About It Later

woo, new update! heavy on the rolleigns in this chapter, be warned.

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><p>Roman woke up with a soft groan, his grey eyes fluttering open and squeezing shut when bright sunlight hit him. He opened his eyes back up a few moments later, and he chuckled when he saw Seth was still curled up on top of him. After a few seconds of helpless wiggling and writhing, he came to the conclusion that Seth wasn't budging. Roman shook his head and reached out, grabbing his phone from his nightstand. Still no text from Dean, to his dismay.<p>

Roman was worried. It wasn't like Dean to leave as suddenly as he did. If anything, it'd be Seth to leave for no rhyme or reason, but Dean...he just didn't do that. Roman had sent Dean countless messages, asking if something was wrong and if he was okay, but he got no reply. Which was another thing that worried him. Dean always replied, even if it was _"I'm fucking fine, leave me the fuck alone,"_ Roman got answers. He just found Dean's silence unnerving. Maybe he was being paranoid. Maybe Dean really did have to do something for his mom, and he just forgot to text back. He had a habit of forgetting things, and this was probably just one of those moments.

Maybe he was being too damn worried about Dean. The Ohio native had proven to be independent, and he made it clear to Roman that he didn't need the older teen hovering around him every second of the day. Yet that didn't stop Roman. From the day he met Dean, Roman had always admired him. He was cocky, and brash, but he was also shy and vulnerable at times, and Roman fell for the whole package. Yes, that included looks. Roman never knew he had a thing for dimples until he met Dean. Roman only fell further as he got closer to Dean, and the blue-eyed boy opened up like a book to him.

The younger teen came from a bad family, both of his parents were druggies and alcoholics and they didn't know the first thing about raising a child. That's how Dean ended up in an adoption home when he was seven, courtesy of the cops. He wasn't adopted till he was eleven. Dean wasn't exactly a "people person," - _he still isn't, some things never change -_ so not many potential parents wanted a child like him. Then Kathy and Stephen came along, and they adopted Dean. He didn't move to Florida until he was thirteen, and the rest of the story is a Roman-and-Seth-filled-history.

Speaking of Seth, the little rock finally started to stir. It took a few minutes, but he finally sat up, and his dark hair was sticking up in every direction. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, smiling when he saw the big smile on Roman's face.

"What's so funny?" Seth asks, slapping Roman's arm lightly when the bigger teen chuckled. It was a friendly slap, though. That smile of Roman's was too gorgeous to be mad at.

"Your hair," Roman rasped, his voice low and hoarse with sleep. Seth nearly melted on the spot. "It's all messy, kid." Roman reached up and pushed some of the strands out of Seth's face, and in a valiant effort to calm the mess that was Seth's hair, he got his fingers stuck.

Seth let out a rather unmanly squeak and pushed at Roman's hand. "_Roman_," He whined, both of his hands coming up to grasp at Roman's wrist as the older's hand began pulling at his tangled hair. "Let go! It hurts!"

Roman sat up and began untangling his fingers from Seth's hair. Seth would whine or whimper every time Roman pulled a bit too hard, and his fingernails were sinking into his wrist. The larger teen growled slightly and used his free hand to grab both of Seth's wrists. "Clawing and crying isn't going to help," Roman said quietly, earning a frightened nod from Seth. "Calm down. _Now_."

Seth didn't make a noise after that. He just sat, silently, and let Roman untangle his fingers. Roman had never got so..._mean_ with Seth. As much as he hated to admit it, Seth was kinda scared. Roman was supposed to be a gentle giant, all big and sweet and loving, not growling and scowling. The older teen finally untangled his fingers from Seth's hair, after a couple minutes of stifled whimpers. "Thanks," Seth said softly, rubbing his head.

Roman sighed softly and ruffled Seth's hair before letting his hand drift down to wrap around the back of Seth's neck. "Hey, hey, look at me," Seth's big brown eyes looked up at Roman tentatively, and Roman smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad, you were in pain," His voice was soft, and the way his big hand drifted over his face was even softer. "It's okay."

Seth opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a soft breath escaped. He'd finally realized just how close Roman was to him, and that he was fucking _cradling his face._ The younger teen figured that it was as good a time as any to do what he was going to do, so, with a brief look at Roman's full lips, he leaned forward and kissed his best friend, full on the lips. Roman's lips were still for a bit longer than Seth liked, but when they finally started moving Seth felt his heart flutter. They kissed and kissed for what felt like forever to Seth (or at least, his lungs), and it was obvious that Roman knew what he was doing. Why he was doing it with _him_, Seth didn't know, but he was going to take full advantage of it.

Roman's lips were soft, and as plump as they looked, but Seth wanted a little more. His hands, which had been sitting dormant in his lap, came up to tangle in Roman's long, dark hair, and he gave a small tug to test the waters. Roman didn't seem to do anything protesting it, so Seth assumed he could do it again. He tugged once more, a bit harder this time, and heard some kind of deep, muffled noise escape Roman's mouth. The older teen's hands drifted down from Seth's shoulders, and for a fraction of a second Seth thought Roman was gonna pull him closer.

Then he remembered that Roman was a functioning human being.

Roman pushed Seth back with a hand on his chest while simultaneously backing away. "Seth, what...?" Roman's red, kiss-swollen lips were parted, and he was panting softly. Seth would've kissed him again if he was sure he wouldn't be shoved off the bed, or worse...

"Fuck, Roman, I'm sorry! I was, uh...you were so close! And I..." Seth stumbled over his own words, looking at Roman helplessly.

"It's...just forget it, okay? Whatever," Roman muttered, getting off his bed and walking towards his door. He stopped, his hand on the doorknob, and looked at Seth. "If you want, we'll talk about it later, alright?"

Seth just nodded and watched Roman leave his room.

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><p><em>What the hell was that?<em>

Roman got to the bathroom in record speed, locking himself inside and sitting with his back against the door. Seth kissed Roman. Lips-on-lips, and Roman could've sworn he felt a little tongue. He felt like he needed to take a shower, like he'd just done the dirtiest thing in existence.

_Maybe it's because you just kissed your best friend, you stupid fuck._

To be fully correct, it was Seth who initiated it. Yeah, Roman kissed back a little, but that didn't matter as much. What mattered was the fact that _Seth _wanted to kiss _him_, and he didn't push him away right as he did it. Problem was, Roman didn't feel the need to push Seth away. By no extent did it feel natural, but he wasn't as disgusted as he should've been that he just kissed the guy that's pretty much his little brother. It was like metaphorical incest. _That's _what irked Roman.

Roman wasn't going to hesitate to admit that Seth was cute. He had a nice smile, and the sweetest personality ever, his butt was a thing of beauty, and now he knew that the smaller teen was an awesome kisser and that didn't help Roman's case _at all_. But, all in all, Roman just didn't feel _that _way about Seth, not the way he felt about Dean. Now Dean, if he was to kiss him...good luck getting Roman away. Roman sighed and rested his face in his hands. He kissed Seth, Seth kissed him, they fucking made out on his bed, and Roman didn't feel completely weird about it.

Seth was probably just messing with him. He was sweet and stuff, but he had the sickest sense of humor Roman had ever experienced. Maybe this was just another one of Seth's stupid little tricks, and he was gonna go in his room and Seth would be laughing his ass off and pulling the "no homo" card on him. That soothed Roman for about five seconds, until he remembered that Seth was the shittiest actor ever and he'd never be able to pull off such flustered behavior without cracking at least a hint of a smile.

"Fuck," Roman mumbled, his head lolling back and connecting with the bathroom door with a dull thud. He heard knocking, and dismissed it almost instantly, but shot up to his feet as he realized that only Dean would be there that early. He rushed out of the bathroom and jogged to the front door, smiling at Dean as he opened it. "Hey," Roman breathed out.

"Hey," Dean said quietly. "Is Seth here?" He asked, trying to look over Roman's shoulder.

"Yeah, he's in my room," Roman answered quickly, earning a nod from Dean. "Hey, so, uh...why didn't you answer me yesterday? I was kinda worried."

"Aren't you always?" Dean chuckled, walking into the house with Roman. "But really, dude, I really had to help my mom. Trevor did something and I had to watch the house while her and Stephen were out." Which was a dirty lie on Dean's part, but Roman didn't need to know that.

Roman nodded and followed the way to his room. "So, you were alright?"

"Yes, mother," Dean smirked and earned a light swat in the gut from Roman before they walked in his room.

Seth jumped slightly as they walked in, but calmed down once he saw Dean. Roman looked pretty chill, too, so he took that as a good sign. "You owe me," Seth stated, pointing at Dean.

"What? Why?" Dean asked, looking between Seth and Roman.

"Big guy over there went all momma-bear yesterday. Kept asking if you were alright, kept looking at his phone. It was annoying." Seth answered, glancing over at Roman for a second. The oldest teen had his arms crossed, and was looking anywhere that wasn't Seth.

"Momma bear, huh?" Dean laughed lightly and threw an arm around Roman's shoulders. "Nice to see someone cares." Dean pinched Roman's cheek, and Roman smiled and pushed him away.

"Cares a bit too much if you ask me," Seth muttered under his breath, but he still earned a dark look from Roman.

_Low blow_ was all that came to Roman's mind. He sat on his bed, as far away from Seth as he could possibly get, and immersed himself in the conversation taking place. He was still replaying he and Seth's kiss in his head, though, and somewhere in his clouded and confused mind, Roman came up with one thought.

_Seth's lips were really soft. _

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><p>well. we got ourselves an insatiable little sethie, a conflicted roman and a clueless dean. we'll see how that kiss turned out later, i promise! reviews are welcomed with open arms!<p> 


	3. That Didn't Happen

Distance.

That's all that came to mind when Dean thought of Roman and Seth. It was so strange, seeing them being so callous to each other. Even if one was mad at another, it never lasted long, and they always ran back to each other. They were like brothers. Now, they're just..._not_. Roman seems uncomfortable around Seth, he sits far away from the youngest teen and he keeps quiet more often then not. And Seth, he wasn't much better. Dean had also noticed that Roman refused to make any eye contact with Seth, so the blue-eyed boy would catch Seth staring almost longingly at Roman. The youngest teen seemed deflated, like his cheery, bright attitude was a balloon that just been popped.

One week prior to this, they were fine. The day school ended, Roman and Seth were the best of friends, Seth was whining about Roman going to college, and Dean was mulling over his feelings for the younger teen.

Speaking of college, Roman had to go on a trip to check out a college that was interested in him, and Dean was dreading it. He was only going to be gone for three days, but _still_. Dean was going to be left with a sad little Seth, and he didn't know how to deal with that. That was Roman's forte, not his. His forte was pissing Seth off to the point of making Roman's forte take effect. Inescapable situation aside, Dean was getting a dickload of time alone with Seth, so he couldn't be completely disappointed.

"What school are you checking out first?" Dean was laying on the grass in Roman's backyard, his forearm resting over his eyes while the other laid on his stomach.

"Florida State. Going to Georgia Tech next month, and maybe North Carolina after that." Roman was laying on the ground, too, but his hands were folded under his head. Seth, of course, was nowhere to be seen. When Dean arrived, he called Seth to ask where he was, and the younger teen gave him a half-assed excuse and hung up.

"That's a lot." Dean muttered, shifting slightly in an attempt to make the grass less itchy.

Roman sighed audibly, and Dean could tell he'd sat up. "I know," Roman said quietly, pulling a knee up and hugging it to his chest. "It's a lot of shit, but the benefits'll be worth it," He sighed again, but softer this time. "Just gotta stomach it."

"Rain before the rainbow, my friend," Dean said, sitting up himself and looking over at Roman. "It'll all work out."

"I hope so." Roman's grey eyes, which looked even lighter in the bright sunlight, were focused on the ground, one of his hands picking at the grass.

"Hey." Dean punched Roman's arm lightly, prompting the older teen to look over at him. Dean nearly gasped as he finally looked Roman in the eye. The summer sun had, as mentioned earlier, made his grey eyes look pale yet bright. His dark hair was down and brushing over his pecs, finally; Roman had been complaining about wanting it long. His tan skin was practically glowing (in the best possible way). Dean wasn't going to deny that he found Roman handsome, anyone with eyes could see that he was, but Dean had never taken it upon himself to notice. He would focus himself on Seth, and he tended to ignore Roman and his good looks (and mildly perfect personality; no biggie).

"Did you want something, or did you just wanna look at me like some kind of creature?" Dean snapped out of his little trance, and felt his cheeks flush with the realization that he'd been caught checking out his best friend.

"No, no, uh..." Dean shuffled over so he was sitting in front of Roman. "You're gonna do fine. You're one hell of a football player, you're an amazing student, I don't know what you're so worried about."

It took a few seconds before Roman answered. "What if something like...that...happens again?"

Dean almost didn't know what Roman was talking about.

He wished he never remembered.

* * *

><p><em>It was the last game of the season. Roman's team had made it to state champs, and they were all bouncing with excitement and adrenaline. There were recruiters there, and Roman knew it, so he knew that he had to play with all his heart, like usual. He'd just have to make his heart a little bigger, and he'd be fine. Roman had just pulled on his shoulder pads, when his cousins drifted over to him. <em>

_"Man, you never got new pads?" Jimmy asked, sitting down next to Roman and pulling on his cleats. _

_"I don't need 'em dude." Roman answered back. His pads had just about split down the back after taking a particularly hard fall, leaving his upper back almost completely exposed. He'd duct taped it back together, but they could hardly stay together during practice, so he didn't see them lasting very long during the game. _

_"You better hope nothing happens to you out there." Jey said seriously, lightly kicking Roman's shin after he pulled on his own shoulder pads. _

_"It's the last game, what could go wrong?"_

_If only he knew. _

_The game was going so well. So fucking well. It was a home game, so the were on their turf, where Roman was most comfortable. They were leading by 12 points, so the touchdown Roman was about to score wouldn't have been necessary. John threw the ball to Roman, and he caught it flawlessly, and ran. For as big as he was, Roman was fast. He took off as soon as he got a steady grip on the ball, and took off down the 40-yard stretch to victory. He heard someone falling behind him, so he assumed Randy had tackled that Titus guy that had been on his ass the entire game. He heard another sound, distinctively similar to a ripping noise, and he knew his makeshift repair had just given out. He paid no mind to it, though, and kept running. Roman was right there, ten fucking yards away, he could practically fucking _taste_ the touchdown, and __**wham**__. _

_A helmet, obviously occupied by a human head, collided with his exposed upper back - right on his spine, to be exact - and everything stopped. He dropped right there, and through his foggy, dark-around-the-edges vision, he saw that Reeves kid being pulled away by some guys on his team. Roman heard yelling, but it sounded muffled and far away, but he recognized Randy's voice yelling expletives, and Jimmy and Jey's voices yelling for help. Dean's voice appeared somewhere - crazy fucker must've jumped the stands - and Seth's voice followed. John popped up, so did Jack, and pretty soon he was being crowded by his entire team. There was crying somewhere, and there was yelling somewhere else._ _Roman felt himself being lifted, and his helmet being taken off, and then he was laid down, and stuff started moving. There were flashing lights and people in uniforms, along with John, who was asking him questions that he couldn't quite piece together. His tongue felt heavy, and he tried to move, but nothing would work. _

_"Stop holdin' me down...'m not movin'." Roman mumbled, his words slurred past the point of understanding. _

_"Not being held down Rome." John's voice was there, and though it was hard to hear, but there was something inside Roman that suddenly felt uneasy. _

_"Johnny..." Roman was looking around him to try and find John, or Seth, or Dean, anyone else that he could talk to. His vision was quickly going from black-around-the-edges to theres-a-light-there-and-something-white-there. _

_Frantic voices, bouncing, the rumble of something as that little white spot went to complete darkness. _

* * *

><p>Roman was almost paralyzed. He had to get a small surgery to repair a fractured vertebrae, and he was back on the field in time for spring training, but there was always that fear of something like that occuring again. Strangely, Roman remembered the whole thing, and it brought tears to his eyes to think of it. Now, Roman was a tough guy. He didn't cry often, his emotions were limited amongst people who weren't Seth, Dean, or his family. Apparently almost dying brings that out of people. Roman looked away from Dean, focusing on his fingers that were picking at the grass once more. He didn't want Dean to see him cry. He had only cried around Seth, and that was only once, when he was 15 and he found out his grandma died.<p>

"Roman? You alright?" Dean's voice was soft, and so was the hand that was placed on his shoulder.

Roman looked up and nodded. He couldn't help but smile at the concerned look on Dean's face. His bright blue eyes were wide, and his lips were puckered ever-so-slightly. "I'm good," Roman assured, sniffling slightly. "I swear. Just, y'know..."

Dean's lips parted and he nodded, squeezing Roman's shoulder softly. "It's okay, man. You're here now, that's all that matters."

"You're right," Roman's smile only broadened, dragging a smile from Dean aswell.

They stayed like that for a while. Just staring at each other, light smiles on their faces, Dean's hand on Roman's shoulder, and at some point Roman's hand had found it's way onto Dean's knee. Dean was okay with their little moment for a few seconds, then he gagged. "Alright, enough of this shit," He muttered, shoving Roman down. "Getting me all mushy and shit...little bastard."

Roman chuckled and shoved Dean back. "You liked it, don't lie." He teased, wrapping an arm around Dean's shoulders and ruffling his hair.

"Man, screw you!" And with that, Dean tackled Roman, and the two started rolling around, both laughing and yelling.

Minutes passed, and Roman finally pinned Dean down. Yeah, Roman might've been bigger than Dean, but the younger teen knew how to scuffle and struggle, so it was hard to get him down. Roman was straddling Dean's hips, his hands clasped with Dean's and holding them above Dean's head. "Pinned ya." Roman smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Dean said flatly, squirming a bit as he tried to get Roman off of him. "Dude, let me up!"

"Why don't you try a little harder?" Roman flat-out laughed this time, only adding to Dean's will to escape.

"Fine," Dean groaned, trying to move his arms, but to no avail; Roman was getting really strong. The smaller teen smirked as an idea came to his head, earning a puzzled look from Roman. Dean didn't say a word, he just pushed his hips up, thinking he could buck Roman off. That didn't work at all, at least, not in the way he hoped. Roman quickly shot off his lap and sat a few feet away from Dean.

"D-Dean...?" Roman stuttered, motioning toward the younger teen's crotch.

Dean cocked an eyebrow and looked down, blushing furiously when he saw the very noticeable bulge in his gym shorts. He quickly moved a hand down and covered himself, sitting up from the ground. "Shit, uh, Rome..." Dean trailed off, his eyes drifting down to where Roman'a hand was almost mimicking his own's position. The older teen's face was flushed as well, and his eyes were wide. "That didn't happen." Dean said.

Roman just nodded.

* * *

><p>well. that happened. i figured i might as well give y'all a little insight as to what happened to roman. seth'll be back in chapter 4, and him and roman may or may not speak about their kiss. ;) reviews are welcomed with open arms!<p> 


	4. Finally

warning: long chapter ahead. i decided to just go ahead and have the two main days that roman is gone in this chapter, and he'll be back in the next chapter.

* * *

><p>Roman and his family had left at about 4 AM, and Roman had been sure to send Dean a text that he was leaving. The loud, obnoxious ringtone that Dean had assigned to Roman's contact woke him up from an otherwise peaceful slumber. The younger teen had half a mind to ask for instructions on how to take care of Seth (he was like a puppy or something; he needed someone to follow around and give him attention and get rid of his energy), but he opted to send<em> 'If you ever wake me up again I'll shave your head'<em> before falling back asleep.

Things had gone back to normal since the 'incident' between Dean and Roman. They had agreed that getting hard was a normal thing, and Roman had put a little extra pressure on Dean that one time, so the younger teen had little to no control over what - _Dean, I swear to god, if you say it_, Roman growled out in his newly-intimidating voice - _popped up_. Well, actually, Dean's exact words were, "Your butt's really nice and it was kinda bouncing on my dick," and he got cuffed on the back of the head. Life was normal from then on, aside from that lingering memory of how _good_ Roman looked on top of him. That image soon turned into Seth, and Dean ended up having to take a cold shower at 11 at night. It was odd, really, having such dirty, almost _naughty_ feelings toward both of his best friends. Dean brushed it off, though. Nobody was gonna know how he felt, why stress about it?

Dean was awoken for a second time, this time by some kind of weight landing on top of him, and he briefly assumed it was Kathy and Stephen's other son, Trevor. Then he remembered that Trevor was 13, and not 150 pounds of warmth and squish. Dean lifted his head and looked down at the dark hair that was spread across his chest, and the lithe body that was splayed out on top of him.

"Seth?"

"Hm?"

"What time is it?"

"'Bout ten o'clock."

"Who let you in?"

"Mrs. Kathy."

Dean chuckled and let his head fall back onto his pillow. For some odd reason, Seth had never stopped calling Dean's mom "Mrs. Kathy," even after she insisted he call her "Kathy." Roman had caught on, that people-pleasing bastard, but Seth was still sticking with "Mrs. Kathy," and Dean though it was adorable. It made him seem more innocent than he actually was, which was strangely attractive to Dean. Seth was all doe-eyes and sweet smiles and cluelessness and Dean couldn't stand it. And finally,_ final-fucking-ly_ Dean got to spend some time with Seth. There was no Roman to cling to, and Dean was going to enjoy the three days while he could.

"Did Roman leave?"

Dean inwardly sighed and brought a hand up to pet awkwardly at Seth's hair. "Yeah, he left around four."

"How do you know?" Seth asks, his chin now resting in the middle of Dean's chest, while the rest of his body was still strewn out on top of Dean's larger one.

"He texted me," Dean said simply, his hand leaving Seth's hair and tentatively resting on his hip. Seth didn't move, so Dean took that as a good thing. "Woke me up. I threatened to cut his hair." He chuckled as he imagined the shocked look that more than likely graced Roman's face.

"Did he say anything about me?" Seth raises his eyebrows, apparently disregarding the second thing that came out of Dean's mouth.

"Oh, yeah," Dean said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "He said that he didn't want to wake up the princess and that you needed your beauty sleep."

"You're an asshole," Seth muttered, sitting up while still straddling Dean's hips, and the older teen had to stop himself from groaning at the one sight that had plagued his mind all weekend. "He really didn't say anything about me? I didn't even get a text."

"Maybe he forgot." Dean tried to reason with Seth while ignoring the fact that the kid he was madly in love with was sitting on his dick. "It was early and Roman isn't a morning person."

Seth sighed and started playing with the hem of Dean's t-shirt. "Maybe..." He trailed off, his eyes drifting from his fingers to Dean's window. "Can we go to the beach?"

"What?" Dean chuckled, his eyes locked onto Seth's face. The younger teen looked serious, and Dean couldn't help but feel confused at how quickly Seth changed the subject. He didn't have to look out the window to know that it certainly wasn't a beach day; he could hear the light rain pelting against the roof, and the lack of light in his room proved that the sun wasn't making an appearance. "It's raining."

"Exactly," Seth said, rolling off of Dean's lap and onto the floor, somehow landing on his feet almost _gracefully_ and walking to Dean's dresser. "No one'll be there. We'll have an entire beach to ourselves."

"I'm not going to the beach."

"Yes, you are," Seth says flatly, throwing a pair of board shorts at Dean. "We're gonna go, and we're gonna have fun, and you're gonna love it."

Dean didn't protest. Again, _alone time with Seth_. If he wanted to go to the beach, then Dean would go. Would he do it happily? Not entirely. But he'd go, because it's what Seth wants. Dean briefly wondered if Seth ever did stuff like this to Roman; wake him up by jumping in him and surprising him with impromptu trip to the beach. It seemed like something Seth would pull - he just fucking did it - but it seemed like it would work like a charm on Roman. He just didn't know how to say no to Seth.

* * *

><p>The he drive to the beach was spent with Seth yelping every time they hit a bump, and Dean telling him to shut up. Seth hadn't gotten his license yet, and that was apparently the only test Dean <em>did<em> pass, so the older of the two would do the driving when Roman wasn't around. Dean's car wasn't anything special; it was an old Ford truck that Stephen had used for work about ten years prior, but it still ran like a dream. Seth all but threw himself out if the car when they finally got to the beach.

"I'm not _that_ bad of a driver."

"Shut up."

Dean just chuckled as he sat down on the cool, damp sand. Seth was right; the beach was deserted aside from a few joggers and a mother that seemed to be struggling To get three kids in a minivan. It certainly wasn't beach weather, either. The air had a chill to it and the rain was coming down in a freezing drizzle. But neither of those factors seemed to bother Seth. He eagerly stripped off his shirt - it would've been hot to Dean if he didn't get hit in the face with the garment - and went romping into the water. It only took about five seconds in chest-deep water for Seth to come running back up onto shore.

"It's cold!" Seth all but squealed, yanking the towel Dean offered him out of the older teen's hand and drying himself off. "Really, really cold." Seth pulled on his shirt and dropped down next to Dean.

"I told you so."

Seth just smacked Dean's shoulder lightly before pulling his hair into a low bun. Luckily, it hadn't got wet. Long hair was a bitch to dry, and Seth had learned that since he decided not to cut it. The two of them sat in a comfortable silence for a good ten minutes, both just staring at the gentle waves lapping up against the sand. Seth's eyes eventually drifted to Dean's face, and the younger teen couldn't help but stare at the Ohio native.

He'd never really looked at Dean. At least, not in the way he looked at Roman, and Seth found himself comparing the two. Dean had sort of a boyish face, while Roman's had shaped itself out and had a definitive jawline. They both had really nice eyes (Seth was, admittedly, a sucker for nice eyes), and though they were stark differences, they both had nice hair. Dean had the cutest little dimples, too, but he hardly smiled enough for Seth to see them. And his _smile_, wow...it was adorable and hot and it made Seth's heart pound while simultaneously making it melt. His personality was quirky and eccentric and a little rough-around-the-edges, but it was like a magnet to Seth.

Alright, so maybe Seth's feelings for Dean weren't as friendly as he previously thought. So now he had things for both of his best friends? Great.

"Are you cold?"

"What?" Seth raised an eyebrow and focused his gaze back on Dean's face.

"You're shivering."

_Oh_. Seth hadn't realized that he was just about shaking like a leaf. "Uh, yeah, I guess I am."

"Here," Dean stripped off his hoodie, leaving him in a t-shirt and shorts, and handed the garment to Seth. The younger teen pulled it on quickly, but the cool air was still making his short-clad legs freeze.

"You wanna just go back to my house?"

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the day in the comfort of Dean's room. They alternated between watching old 80's movies (Dean had a thing for them, Seth didn't know why), and whatever wrestling pay-per-views that Dean had on DVD (there were <em>a lot<em>). At some point, Seth found himself sitting between Dean's parted legs, his back pressed against the older teen's chest while his head rested against his shoulder. Seth's excuse was that he was still cold; that worked on literally _everyone_. The older teen went right along with it, seemingly oblivious to Seth's completely bogus excuse to be wrapped in somebody's arms.

Roman and Seth sat like that often. Seth was kinda in love with that very position, especially when it was with Roman. Everything on Roman was big, from his chest to his arms and all the way down to his legs, he was _huge_ compared to Seth, so sitting like that made Seth feel safe. But it was different with Dean. He wasn't as big, obviously, and his posture was a lot more relaxed than Roman's was. And his hands weren't as tentative as Roman's. Dean wasn't afraid to put his hands on Seth's abdomen, while Roman's would usually sit on his legs. In a way, Dean's embrace was better than Roman's.

"Seth, why are you staring at me?"

He _really_ needed to stop doing that. "I dunno," Seth shrugged, one of his hands coming up to play with Dean's unruly mess of blonde curls. "You're easy to look at."

That smile that Seth liked made its way onto Dean's face - the one with the dimples. "Is that so?"

"Yup," Seth twirled a curl around his finger, his brown eyes locked onto Dean's blues.

The lightning strike outside was the only thing faster than the two teens as their lips came together for the first time. Seth was a little tense at first, while Dean quite simply melted into the gentle kiss. Once Seth got used to the fact that he was kissing Dean, he let himself sink further back into Dean's chest while his grip on Dean's hair tightened. The older teen's own hand had almost a death grip on Seth's shirt, but he didn't care. Hell, Dean didn't care if he ripped the damn thing clean off Seth's body, all he cared about was the fact that he was finally kissing Seth.

The wonderful kiss ended all too soon, though, and Seth pulled away with a wet smacking sound. His breath came in soft pants and his cheeks were flushed, and his brown eyes were still closed. The younger teen took a deep breath, and Dean was expecting to be yelled at, but all he got was another kiss. This one was harder, and a bit more rushed, but Dean enjoyed it all the same. Seth turned around and straddled Dean's lap, much like he had that morning, as his hands still gripped at Dean's hair. Again, Seth pulled away, but his words took all of the edge off of it.

"Can I sleep over tonight?"

* * *

><p><em>Day Two<em>.

Dean woke up before Seth did, and it gave him a few good minutes to remember the previous night with Seth.

They hadn't gone farther than some innocent little touches and some sloppy kisses. Dean waant quite sure how he managed to do what he did. He was almost completely sure that Seth found him revolting, and if it came down to it Seth would pick Roman over Dean. And now, after one night sans-Roman, they had made out for the better part of four hours. They stayed up until 3 AM, so it was no surprise that they'd slept in so late. The longer Dean looked at Seth, the more he started thinking. All of a sudden, Seth shows an interest in him. But why? It brought a whole slew of unpleasent thoughts to Dean's head as he imagined the circumstances.

Roman wasn't there. Seth had been a bit closer to Dean than usual, and Dean had caught Seth staring at him on more than one occasion. Seth had _willingly_ kissed him. The youngest teen had admitted to Dean and Roman that he was bisexual, but he leaned toward girls. Yet Seth had never shown a prior interest in Dean. Now he was kissing the older teen. That had never happened when Roman was around. Even if he was in town, but he just couldn't meet up with Seth and Dean, Seth never acted the way he did the previous day. Then again, Roman and Seth were always on much better terms when Roman had to cancel on them. And now Roman was gone, Seth was without his best friend, and Dean had become a rebound of sorts.

Well, there goes the enjoyment of the night before.

Seth started to stir after a few minutes, his brown eyes fluttering open as he looked up at Dean. The younger teen's lips pouted as if he was confused, but he soon smiled and laughed lightly when he seemed to realize that he was with Dean.

"Oh my god..." Seth mumbled, burying his face in Dean's neck.

"Yeah," Dean chuckled, running a hand through Seth's hair while he stared at the ceiling.

"We made out last night," Seth said, picking his head up and looking at Dean. The older teen seemed almost embarrassed, and Seth thought it was kinda cute. "We, uh, we aren't gonna tell Roman about this, are we?"

"I don't see why we would," Dean muttered. "We just kissed no big deal." He gently moved Seth off of him, and sat up against his headboard.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"...was I good?" Seth's voice was soft and slightly childlike, and had no place in a discussion such as the one they were having.

Dean looked at Seth, the younger teen now sitting in front of him. "Yeah, you were good." Dean says, ruffling Seth's hair before reaching over to pick up his phone. As he expected, there was a text from Roman. Typical message, _"Hey, checking out the school today. Leaving tomorrow. Be back late."_ Dean couldn't help but smile softly. Roman, as much as he dreaded the trip, was living his dream. He was getting the chance to to what he wanted to do, and Dean felt almost proud of his best friend.

"Roman?" Seth asks, his voice softer and more innocent than ever.

Dean looked up at Seth, and the smile on his face dropped as he saw the slight frown on Seth's. "Yeah," He says, tucking a piece of hair behind Seth's ear. "What even happened with you two? Y'all are best friends, and now you get sad whenever he's mention."

Seth looks down, his fingers twiddling nervously in his lap. "I kissed him."

"What?"

"I kissed him, Dean!" Seth looked even more defeated than before. "I kissed him, and he kissed back, and I'm pretty sure he hates me because he hasn't spoken to me since."

"You kissed him? Why?"

"Because I like him, Dean. He's...he's _him_, y'know? And we were really close, and his lips looked so good, and then we kissed and it was a really good kiss-"

"You're rambling."

"Fuck you," Seth pointed a finger at Dean. "But now he's ignoring me."

"Damn..." Dean trailed off, scratching his arm. Now those kisses last night _really_ didn't mean as much. "That's, uh, that really sucks, dude."

"I know," Seth sighed. "He said we'd talk about it, but he hasn't said a word."

"He's been busy, Seth. He said he'll be back late tomorrow night, you guys can talk after he comes home."

Seth just nodded.

* * *

><p>they kissed! they really kissed! good god, this chapter whipped my ass. i had to trash the entire day 2 part <em>and <em>the last part of day one. i stayed up until 2 am last night trying to finish this, but i couldnt muster up the energy. writer problems, y'all. reviews are welcome with open arms!


	5. Just Need You

The visit to the college was uneventful. They checked out the campus, then the field, and the tour guide made sure to familiarize them the amenities they'd be willing to provide for Roman and his family; season tickets for the entirety of Roman's football career with their team, no big deal. Overall, the ordeal was quite boring to Roman. Nothing in the school really stood out to him, aside from the fact that it was ridiculously close to home and he'd be able to visit at any time, and he wouldn't have to worry about missing out on hanging out with Seth and Dean. Speaking of the two, Roman was wondering if they were even speaking to him. Well, Dean, at least. Things were still rocky with he and Seth.

It was one kiss. One long, warm, passionate, and mildly sloppy kiss that made Roman a little dizzy, in the very best way. Nothing major, right? Just a friendly kiss. Well, that's what he kept telling himself. Roman knew there was something else to that kiss. Something that Seth hadn't told him, or that they hadn't yet discussed. He knew that Seth was wasn't all that anal about sexuality. He was cool with it, like he was with pretty much everything else, so Roman didn't think it was too far off to assume Seth was just experimenting. The kid was a little risk-taker, and apparently kissing Roman was one of those risks he was willing to take.

But what if it was something more than that? That kiss could've meant a lot to Seth, it could've been this deep, important experience and Roman just blew him off. Seth was probably angry at him. That would suck _so_ bad. Seth wasn't an angry person. He was loving, and sweet, and adorable, and _why_ was Roman thinking like that? Obviously Seth was all of the previous things, but everyone thought that, right? It was pretty much natural instinct for anyone who ever met Seth. That, or Roman was really falling for his other best friend.

Roman really needed to stop over-analyzing. He was gonna kill himself with how hard he was thinking about all of this. He looked down at his phone and wasn't entirely surprised that there was no message from Dean, either. He couldn't think of anything that could've damaged what was between he and Dean, aside from that boner incident.

They had smoothed that over. They agreed that it was okay, Dean made a terrible boner joke and Roman threatened to inflict physical pain on him, business as usual. Nothing about that particular situation had Roman concerned, not like the one with Seth. The one thing that Roman just couldn't let go was the fact that Dean thought he had a nice butt. It was a small, off-handed comment, probably a joke if anything, but that meant Dean had looked at Roman's butt. It was oddly exciting for Roman, it was sort of a _"the guy I am madly in love with has looked at my butt before,"_ moment, and it _rocked_. He spared one last glance at his phone before looking out his car window.

"Roman, honey, are you alright?" His mother asked, reaching behind her and patting Roman's knee. "You look like you have something on your mind."

_She had no idea._ "Uh, yeah, I'm good. Just waiting to get home."

She nodded, but said nothing more, leaving Roman to his devices to the rest of the drive.

* * *

><p>The drive home was about as uneventful as the visit to the campus, and Roman was overjoyed when they finally got home. He wasn't all too surprised when he heard someone knock on the door less than an hour after they got home. The knocking was followed by he front door opening and closing, then footsteps, then his door was opening, and...<p>

"Roman!"

Seth came crashing into Roman, knocking him down on his bed. The younger teeen's arms were around Roman's neck while his legs squirmed around rather helplessly, obviously trying to wriggle them around Roman's waist. Roman sat up, much to Seth's pleasure, and his legs were around Roman in a heartbeat.

"Yeah, I missed you too, Seth," Roman stated, wrapping his arms around Seth and giving him a good squeeze. Seth didn't let go, his hold didn't even loosen, and Roman sighed. "You comfy?"

"Very," Seth mumbled, nuzzling his face in Roman's neck. "I really, really, really missed you." He retracted his face from Roman's neck and looked the older teen in the eye.

"I was barely gone for three days, Seth," Roman said, trying to pry Seth off of him, but to no avail. He was puzzled, to say the very least, by how quickly Seth's attitude towards him changed. "Dean isn't that bad, is he?"

"No, he's great, I just..." Seth shook his head and went back to nuzzling his face in Roman's neck. "I'm sorry for kissing you."

It came out in a whisper, and had Seth's lips not been so close to Roman's ear, he probably wouldn't have heard it. "What?"

"I'm sorry for kissing you," Seth stated, pulling away from Roman once more. "I know that it was probably weird, and I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I just had to try it out at least once, y'know? I really, really like you, Rome, and-" Seth cut himself off, his face flushing as he realized what he said. "Oh shit, uh, forget I said that. Forget I said anything." Seth untangled himself from Roman and got up, walking to the door.

"No, no, no, Seth, you like me?" Roman asked, standing up from his bed and grabbing Seth's arm.

Seth hesitated for a few moments, but he still spoke. "Yes, Roman, I like you," _Holy fucking shit._ "More than I should, actually, but it doesn't matter."

Roman, using his grip on Seth's arm, pulled him back towards him and wrapped his arms around the younger teen's waist. "It does matter, because you like me," Roman said, his chest pressed against Seth's back. "Why haven'to you told me?"

"Because I didn't want to scare you off." Seth says quietly, relaxing back into Roman.

"Do I seem scared?" Roman asked, earning a shake of the head from Seth. "I can't say I feel the same way," Roman begins, feeling Seth almost deflate. "But I definitely feel something. I have no idea what it is that I'm feeling, but I do know that I'm looking at you differently because of it. You've...you've fucked with my head a little bit. I've been thinking about those lips of your for the past week and a half, Seth."

Seth turned his head and looked back at Roman, and he couldn't help but blush at the look on Roman's face. He glanced down at the bigger teen's lips before looking back into his eyes, and before he knew it, they were kissing.

Roman's lips were still ridiculously soft, and just as gentle as he kissed Seth. The younger teen turned around in Roman's arms and wrapped his own around Roman's neck once more, his legs wrapping around Roman's waist soon after. Roman's hands were under his thighs, more than likely as a means of holding him up, but when the older teen's hands slid up to cup his ass, Seth couldn't help but shiver.

"Rome..." Seth whimpered, tightening both his arms and his legs around Roman. "Not right now..."

"Okay," Roman mumbles, turning around and gently dropping Seth onto his bed.

* * *

><p>"So...are we a thing now?"<p>

Roman looked down at Seth, who was laying on top of him, much like he was the night before their first kiss. They had kissed and kissed and kissed for what felt like an eternity to Roman; a breathless, blissful eternity. They lost their shirts at one point, and somehow Seth managed to get Roman's shorts off, but they didn't go much further than some really heavy making out.

"I dunno...I mean, I'm alright with whatever you want," Roman says, running a hand through Seth's hair.

"We kinda just figured all _this_ out, so I don't think we should just be boyfriends, y'know?" Seth asked, his fingers playing with the hem of Roman's boxers. "I'm alright with just being able to kiss you and take your clothes off whenever I want." Roman swatted lightly at Seth's ass, making the younger teen yelp and rub the stinging skin. "Alright, okay, a little vulgar, I apologize. But I really do mean it. I don't need a label, I just need you."

Roman smiled as he looked down at Seth, pressing a kiss to the younger's head. "I'm alright with that."

* * *

><p>told you he'd be back, and with a bang might i add. this took such a turn as i was writing it, it's not even funny. but, it's a chapter nonetheless, right? reviews are welcome with open arms!<p>

(on a different note: i'm making another story with song-based one-shots, so if there's a pairing and/or song that you'd like to see a one-shot for, leave a review or message me what you'd like to see!)


	6. Where He Stood

author's rant, really sorry, but i have to get this off my chest:

i fully support reviews. if you have something to say, go ahead and say it. praises, constructive criticism, that's fine. but do not, under _any fucking circumstances _what-so-ever, purposefully trash someone's entire story because you didn't like "how the characters acted." ever heard of muses? but really, my other chapter story, No One Ever Loved, was completely trashed via reviews and i am fucking _steaming_ because _why_? why do you have to call someone trash because they defended themselves after you left an insulting review? if readers are entitled to reviewing, writers are entitled to replying to those reviews, correct? but really, who cares. i have loyal, kind reviewers and readers that can overshadow any kind of hater that decided they're going to shit on my hard work. at least i can put sleepless nights in and get 13,000 words out. so thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, followed, or just taken the time to read my work. it means the world to me, and it motivates me to write and get better at writing.

(btw, to the kind person who decided to leave a rude review for all 8 chapters of No One Ever Loved, jokes on you, punk. i get reviews, you get a shitty reputation.)

* * *

><p>Seth liked Roman.<p>

Dean liked Seth.

Roman, well, Dean wasn't sure where Roman stood. He allowed Seth to kiss him, and he didn't punch him in the face. But then again, Roman was Roman and he was afraid of spiders and teared up that one time they watched Toy Story 3 with Roman's cousins. The thought of him punching Seth of all people was funnier than it should've been. Roman fucking loved Seth, which made Dean wonder if the oldest teen had a thing for him. But there was also the fact the Roman hadn't spoken to Seth since they kissed. Roman probably liked someone else. No, scratch that, Dean knew Roman liked someone. He just didn't know who it was.

Maybe it was him. Roman _was_ always clinging onto Dean, like Seth clung onto Roman. He was always worried about Dean's well-being. Getting hard when they play-fought, actually, Dean didn't blame him. That whole ordeal was pretty intense, but not unenjoyable. The older teen actually looked extremely good on top of him, so Dean knew his boner wasn't _just_ from the contact. Roman was hot (and sweet and kind and caring but who cares), and Dean was willing to admit that, but what he wasn't willing to admit was that he was slowly falling for his other best friend.

Dean really hated thinking. All the variables and the possibilities were putting unnecessary stress on him. Why couldn't someone just say they liked someone else? Why were there so many strings? It sucked.

He was gonna go to Roman's house. He knew the older teen was home (sent Dean a text as soon as they pulled in), and Seth probably wasn't there, so he was gonna go over there and talk to Roman. Whether or not Roman was willing to discuss the topics Dean was interested in, they were gonna talk. And Dean was gonna stop thinking.

* * *

><p>"I missed you, big guy."<p>

Roman chuckled and looked down at the blonde head that was resting on his shoulder. Dean had finally made his way over to Roman's, the day after he got back, and by that time Seth had to go back home. They were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the grass in Roman's backyard, and as mentioned earlier, Dean had discovered that Roman's shoulder made a great pillow. Roman wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting like that; all he knew was that it was bright daylight when they went outside and the sun was now setting, bathing the sky in beautiful hues of pink and orange and purple. It made Dean look (and act) even better than usual, too. He seemed calm and at ease, and his eyes were focused on the sunset.

"I missed you, too," Roman said, letting his arm boldly snake around Dean's waist. Yeah, he and Seth had their little agreement, but it didn't change Roman's feelings for Dean. "Were you and Seth alright? He didn't really say much."

"We were good," Dean answered, seemingly unaffected by the arm around his waist and the hand on his hip. "He made me take him to the beach while it was raining, that little shit."

Roman chuckled. "Yeah, he'll do that to you." The older teen looked back down at Dean, and he couldn't help but smile. There was just _something_ about Dean that he adored much more than he should.

"You and Seth have habits of staring," Dean remarked, his head lifting up from Roman's should so he could look at the bigger teen properly.

Roman's face flushed almost instantly, his arm subconsciously drifting away from Dean. "Sorry about that..." He said sheepishly.

"No, no, no," Dean began, grabbing Roman's wrist and placing his arm where it was. "I have felt your dick before, you really think I care that you looked at me? If anything, it's kinda flattering."

Roman's blush only got darker, if it was even possible, and he earned a laugh from Dean. "Shut the fuck up," Roman muttered, half-heartedly slapping Dean on the shoulder before scooting away from the younger teen.

"Aw, Roman, don't be like that," Dean teased, moving over to Roman and wrapping his arms around the bigger teen's shoulders. "I was hard too, y'know. There you were, that big ass of yours rubbing_ all over_ my dick-"

"Dean." Roman warned, his voice low but still wavering slightly. Did he _really_ have to do that then?

"It actually felt really, really good too," Dean had the biggest, most devious smirk on his face, like he knew that he was affecting Roman. "I kinda hoped me moving my hips would've encouraged you to bounce."

"_Dean_," Roman was full-on whining now. "Don't talk about it like that." He wriggled out of Dean's grasp and scooted away once again.

"Like what? Like I enjoyed it?" This time, Dean's arms wrapped around Roman's waist, his chest pressing against the older teen's back. "Because I did."

"Okay," Roman drew out the word, slipping away from Dran for what felt like the millionth time. "That got real weird real quick."

"Man, whatever," Dean giggled, shoving Roman lightly.

"Boys, inside, it's late."

Both of their heads snapped around to look at the back door as Roman's mom called them inside. Both had neglected to realize that the sun had completely set, and it was pretty much pitch black outside. They got up and went inside, both grabbing slices of the pizza that Roman's mom had ordered, and went up to Roman's room. Dean proclaimed that he was sleeping over, to which Roman had close to no choice but to agree. Not like he would've said no. They stayed up until past midnight, just messing around and playing video games and watching bad action movies, until Roman's mom started pounding on the door, telling them to go to sleep. They giggled uncontrollably for a good ten minutes, but they soon obliged and fell asleep in a heap on Roman's bed.

* * *

><p>"Roman...Roman, c'mon, wake up...I'm bored, you douchbag, get up!"<p>

Roman groaned and attempted to roll over, but his hips were pinned down to the bed. He cracked his eyes open, and groaned once more when he saw Dean straddling him, a pillow in hand. He closed his eyes and threw an arm over his face. Dean, though, didn't seem to be taking no for an answer. He brought the pillow down and began hitting Roman with it repeatedly. Roman began to fling his free arm around as if he was swatting a fly, and he managed to hit Dean's hand and knock the pillow from his grip.

"No..." Roman mumbled, not lifting his other arm from his face. "'M not wakin' up..."

"Yes you are," Dean says flatly, getting off the bed and grabbing both of Roman's hands. Roman let out a noise of disapproval, but didn't fight back. Dean began to pull, Roman's body sliding off of his bed with every step backwards Dean took. Eventually Roman hit the ground with a loud thud, a string of curses coming from his mouth.

"You motherfucker," Roman muttered, finally standing up and stretching. His shirt rose up as his arms stretched up above his head, and Dean couldn't help but stare at the teasing, tan sliver of skin. Dean hadn't seen Roman shirtless in what seemed like forever, so he knew that Roman had developed in some way, and that little hint of a v-line was more than enough evidence that he had. "And you gave me shit for staring."

Dean's eyes snapped up to look at Roman's face, which had a small smile on it. "Shut up," He mumbled, turning away and walking towards the door

"Is this all you woke me up for?" Roman asks, walking towards Dean and slipping an arm around his waist. "To stare at my crotch?"

"I was actually looking at your stomach, you jackass," Dean answered, his face flushing as Roman pulls him back against his chest.

"If you wanted to see me shirtless, you could've just asked, you know," Roman said, letting go if Dean and taking a few steps back

"What are you..." The question died in Dean's throat as he turned around, and was greeted by Roman pulling his shirt over his head. Dean couldn't help but gasp softly as Roman's shirtless body came into view; all perfectly tan and toned and smooth, the beginning of abs forming, and if course that glorious v-line.

"You good?"

Dean just nodded. He took a step towards Roman, his eyes never straying from Roman's naked upper half. Dean didn't even bother considering the consequences of what he was about to do, he just reached out and drifted a hand down Roman's stomach. That same hand moved back up Roman's stomach and across his wide chest. Dean, finally, looked up at Roman, blue eyes locking with grey, and Dean felt his breath catch. He was t sure who started leaning in first, but somehow his lips were mere millimeters from Roman's. They were right there, just about to kiss, and...

"What are you guys doing?"

* * *

><p>cliffhangers because why not. if you managed to read this chapter, and you weren't completely disgusted with me after my rant, then thank you. i was kinda hurt by the review(s), and i just needed to get it off my chest somehow. anyways, the chapter! wow! dean's exploring, roman...is afraid of spiders, and someone just interrupted the two. who do you guys think it is? reviews are welcomed with open arms!<p> 


	7. Five Minutes

this...i don't know how to explain this.

* * *

><p>"Mom!" Roman all but squealed, quickly grabbing his discarded shirt and pulling it over his head. "Don't you know how to knock?"<p>

"I just came to tell you that Seth's here, so you should both get downstairs," Patricia said, pointing to the door.

"Why didn't he just come up here?" Roman asked, and Dean took a mental picture of Roman's bright red face, because he knew he'd never see it again.

"I gave him breakfast, you know he never turns down food," She waved her hand dismissively. "Downstairs. Now."

Dean and Roman both nodded, walking out of the room with Roman's mom following. Dean reached the steps and went downstairs, as he was asked to do, but Patricia stopped Roman at the top of the steps with a gentle hand on his arm. He looked down at her, his face still burning, but his skin just tinted a light pink. Patricia made that "I know you have something to say so say it," face, but Roman said nothing.

"You're keeping something from me," His mother said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know what you and Dean were doing, but I do know that it requires some discussing. I'm not pressuring you into anything, but I do expect a follow-up." And with that, she turned to go down the stairs.

"We almost kissed," Roman said, just loud enough for Patricia to hear. "We almost kissed, and I wanted it to happen."

She nodded slowly, her face unchanged. "Was it the first time?"

"Well, with him, yes," Roman said quietly. "Me and Seth have kissed, but Dean and I haven't yet," Roman shrugged when he was done. "Nothing major, I guess."

Patricia nodded once more. "If you want to talk about it, ever, don't be afraid to come to me, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Roman's mom took it much better than Roman expected she would. He was imagining some kind of big, family discussion that involved 'discovering yourself' and 'feeling comfortable,' which would ultimately make him feel uncomfortable. But no, she just nodded and left the door open for discussion, and Roman assumed he would have to go through that door once Dean and Seth were gone. He wasn't exactly looking forward to that conversation, but he'd tolerate it if it meant getting some kind of advice.<p>

He almost kissed his crush. Like, he could almost feel the pressure of Dean's lips on his, like some kind of phantom kiss. Dean didn't run away, so that's good. That's about one pro to around a thousand cons, and the odds certainly weren't in Roman's favor. So many things could've gone wrong had that not been Roman's mom walking into the room. Like, if his mom was Seth.

What would Seth think about that? Roman and Seth had their little thing going, but now that Roman knew Seth liked him, almost kissing Dean felt like he was cheating. Though, he and Seth technically weren't together. They just had their own little version of 'friends with benefits.' If Roman was to kiss Dean, it'd be a kiss, nothing Seth had to know (or worry) about. But Roman still felt...guilty.

He made his way downstairs, ruffling Dean's hair and stealing a piece of bacon off Seth's plate ("_Roman_," Seth had whined, sounding like he was seven). Dean looked normal, but every time he glanced over to Roman, he'd blush lightly. It was kinda cute, really.

"You're taking me to the movies today," Seth said, pointing a piece of bacon at Roman.

"Why?" Roman asked, leaning over the counter and taking a bite of the bacon Seth was holding.

"You asshole, don't eat my food!" Seth exclaimed. "But, to answer your question, Dean said 'no,' so you have to take me."

Roman looked over to Dean, and Dean shrugged. "I took it to the beach, it's your turn, dude."

"I'm not an it," Seth retorted, looking at Dean with a pout. And Dean, that little shit, pouted right back. "Movies." Seth pointed at Roman once more.

"Movies, here, because I'm not paying twelve bucks for some shitty superhero movie," Roman answered.

"Asshole," Seth muttered.

* * *

><p>As much as Seth pretended to not want to, the three of them all ended up staying at Roman's house and watching movies. They somehow managed to all fit on Roman's bed, but it looked more like a game of Tetris than anything. Dean was laying across the foot of the bed while Roman laid normally, and Seth was curled up with Roman. Seth got to pick the movie, since it was 'pretty much his idea,' and Dean and Roman had to stomach watching <em>Sixteen Candles<em> for the ten thousandth time. Neither Dean nor Roman really paid much attention to the movie, but they chose to not pay much attention to each other either. Seth ended up falling asleep ten minutes into the movie.

All Dean could think of was Roman and the kiss that never was. He fucking wanted that kiss. Now, Dean adores Roman's mom, but walking in when he was about to kiss his incredibly gorgeous (and shirtless) best friend was the dick move to end all dick moves. Something about being so close to Roman just felt _right_. The older teen was all warm and loving and inviting and _fuck_ if Dean didn't want some of that. His feelings for Seth hadn't diminished in any way, but he could feel his feelings for Roman growing fast. It was fucking terrifying to think of it, liking Roman, but it also felt more natural than liking Seth, which was terrifying in it's own right.

All Roman could think of was Dean. Just Dean. No Seth. Dean was so perfectly imperfect it pained Roman. He was being swallowed up by how strongly he felt about Dean, like Dean was quicksand and it's only intentions were to drag Roman under. Yet, there was Seth, like some kind of savior or something, pulling him out of the pit that was his crush on Dean. Seth was like some kind of angel. It wasn't fair.

Speaking of Seth, he started to stir about 15 minutes into his little nap, and Roman assumed he was waking up, until those lithe little hips of his started grinding on Roman's thigh. Roman instantly tensed, snapping himself out of his confused trance long enough to lightly kick Dean in the ribs. Dean looked over to Roman and opened his mouth to speak, until he noticed Seth.

"What's he doing?"

"I have an idea."

"What do you think he's dreaming of?"

"Do I really need to answer that?"

Dean laughed quietly and shook his head, crawling up to Roman and laying on the older teen's other side. It was quite a squeeze, but he managed. Seth, meanwhile, had gone from grinding to full-on bucking up into Roman's leg, his breath coming in soft pants against Roman's neck.

"Must be a real good dream," Dean mumbled, laying his head on Roman's shoulder. If you were to ask him, Dean wouldn't begin to deny that watching Seth have a wet dream was hot. Because, holy shit, it _so_ was.

"Yeah," Roman breathed out, seemingly mesmerized my Seth's desperately bucking body. They both inhaled sharply when Seth fucking whimpered, his hips stilling for a short moment before rolling hopelessly once more. Roman's head lolled over to look at Dean, his lips parted in the most inviting way.

That innocent little movie day had gone from sleep to sex in about five minutes, and Dean had never been so thankful for someone being asleep. Dean slid a hand up and under Roman's shirt, laying his palm flat across the older teen's broad chest, much like he had that morning. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Roman.

"Please."

That's all it took. Dean surged upwards, his lips pressing against Roman's almost brutally. Roman tangled a hand in Dean's curly hair, earning some kind of beautiful, muffled noise from him. Dean drug his nails down Roman's chest and stomach, Roman arching up into it. They pulled away after a few more seconds, and after their kiss had calmed down. Seth, meanwhile, was still going at it, whatever his dream was, but there were a few things that came out of his mouth that had Roman and Dean forgetting about that first kiss they'd just shared.

"Roman...Dean...Roman, Dean, fuck!"

His hips stilled, his body stiffening, his breath calming, and he was coming. Roman could slightly feel the dampness against his leg. Dean propped himself up on his elbow, running a hand gently through Seth's hair. His eyes fluttered open, his lips curling into a sleepy smile as his eyes began to drift closed again. Then, as if he realized he was no longer dreaming, his eyes snapped open and he all but flung himself off Roman's bed.

"Did...did I...?"

Dean and Roman nodded.

"Against your leg?" Seth pointed to Roman.

"Yeah."

It was Seth who nodded, the youngest teen still sitting on the floor. "Can I borrow some shorts?"

* * *

><p>WOO. wasn't that FUN folks? this kicked my ass, honestly. believe it or not, roman's mom was going to be seth, and we were gonna have a depressing as hell chapter, but i decided to give y'all this mess. reviews are welcomed with open arms!<p> 


	8. The Aftermath, Part One

_Senses on overload. Everything feels hyper-sensitive, like every nerve is on fire and burning in the most amazing way. His head feels like it's spinning. He's lightheaded, no doubt, but the mouth on his was more to blame for that._

_Dean was a fucking exceptional kisser. Seth almost regretted spending all that time on Roman when Dean was right there. Then he felt Roman's perfect, beautiful lips dragging wet kisses across his back and shoulders, and he forgot about his regret. A pair of large hands - Roman's - were on his hips as he kneeled on Roman's bed. Dean was in front of him, his long fingers tangled in Seth's hair while Roman pressed his hips against Seth from behind, sucking and biting any skin that was available._

_"Oh fuck..." Seth moaned out, leaning back into Roman's chest as the older teen's hand slid forward and began palming at his cock, which was fully hard. "Roman."_

_"What, baby?" Roman's voice was nothing short of a purr, all smooth and sweet as he worked over Seth's cock. "You like this?"_

_Seth nodded numbly, rolling his hips up into Roman's hand. Dean's lips were on him again, only they were kissing down his chest and stomach. Seth never really noticed how nice Dean's lips were; the top one was thin, but the bottom was impossibly plump and pink, and Seth was obsessed with kissing them already. Roman's nimble fingers slid under the waistband of his sweatpants, and Seth shivered as he felt Roman chuckle against his neck._

_"Commando, huh? What, were you expecting us?" Roman teased, the very tips of his fingers brushing over Seth's hipbone. "Dean, help me out here."_

_Dean smirked and nodded, leaning down and biting the waistband of Seth's sweatpants. He pulled them down to mid-thigh, the younger teen's member almost hitting him in the face. Dean's hand encircled Seth's cock and began stroking, earning a shaky moan from Seth._

_"How pretty..." Dean muttered, sucking a kiss onto Seth's thigh. "Seth?"_

_"Yeah," Seth breathed out, his hips still pumping into Dean's hand as he leaned back on Roman._

_"Have you ever gotten a blowjob before?"_

_Seth's breath hitched. He'd gotten, like, half a blowjob before. The girl wasn't too good at it, and she was probably just looking to get some kind of recognition for blowing a dude, but he got one. Though, since it was his first time, he came early and the girl ended up spitting it out all over his shorts. Yet, there was something about Dean that implied he was willing to swallow. Seth looked down at Dean with a helpless sort of expression, and Dean just chuckled._

_"What a treat you're in for, Mr. Rollins," Dean mumbled before licking Seth's cock from base to tip. He wrapped his lips around the head and sucked, dragging a loud moan from Seth._

_"Isn't he good, Seth?" Roman asked, his voice low and husky and driving Seth insane. The oldest teen ran a hand through Dean's hair, prompting him to look up at Seth. "Yeah, he's _real_ good," Roman answered his own question. "Dean, you can do better than that, give him all you got."_

_Seth didn't miss the way Dean's face reddened, or how he almost smiled when Roman gently pulled his hair. He did exactly what he was told to, and gave it all to Seth. One hand went up to rest on Seth's lower back, while the other went down and started clawing at Seth's thigh. Dean began bobbing his head, and Seth felt the head of his cock hit the back of Dean's throat every time he went down._

_"Holy shit, Dean..." Seth whimpered, tangling a hand in Dean's hair along with Roman's. "Feels so good..." His head lolled back onto Roman's shoulder, the older teen's mouth instantly pressing against his, that wonderful tongue tangling with his._

_"Roman, if I'm giving him everything, you should too," Dean said after pulling his mouth off of Seth's cock._

_"I don't wanna scare him too bad, Dean," Roman said softly, wrapping his arms around Seth's waist and kissing up his neck. "He isn't ready for it yet." He whispered, kissing Seth's ear._

_Dean just chuckled, going back to sucking Seth's cock like a champ. Seth was confused until he felt large hands groping his ass. He opened his mouth to say something, but Roman beat him to it._

_"It's alright, baby boy, just let it happen, okay?" Roman whispered softly._

_Baby boy. Roman only called him that when Seth was sad. When Seth was 15, his dad left he and his mom, and it took one hell of a toll on Seth. And 16-year-old Roman, ever the savior, was right there for Seth the entire time. He called Seth "baby boy" on accident during one of Seth's sobbing spurts, but it always stuck. It calmed him down, and Roman knew that._

_Seth felt a slicked finger sliding between his ass, the tip of that same finger pressing against his hole. Dean transitioned from sucking to little licks, like he wanted to put Seth's attention on Roman as the oldest teen's finger slipped into his ass. It felt foreign, and Seth didn't like it much, but Roman's oh-so-relaxing voice calmed him right down._

_"Just go with it, Seth, you're good," Roman said softly, pressing a kiss to Seth's temple. His voice distracted Seth enough for him to slide his finger all the way into Seth's ass, a second one joining it soon after. It hurt less, and Seth was starting to enjoy it, much to Roman's pleasure. "You are so fucking tight, baby boy."_

_Seth was gonna answer. And then Roman's finger rubbed along something amazing, and all that escaped his mouth was an (embarrassingly) high-pitched moan._

_"You found it, Rome."_

_Roman just chuckled and began kissing Seth's neck, his fingers thrusting in and out of Seth's ass, just barely grazing along his prostate. Dean went back to sucking his cock. Seth didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to thrust up into Dean's mouth and feel more of that fantastic, wet pressure all over his cock, but he also wanted to move back and get as much of Roman's fingers he possibly could. In the end, Seth settled for rolling his hips back and forth; riding Roman's fingers, fucking Dean's mouth. It all started to become too much too soon, and Seth felt his orgasm hit him like a wave. _

_"Roman...Dean...Roman, Dean, fuck!"_

_Everything went really, really fast, and before Seth knew it, he was coming. His fingers tangled in Dean's hair, his head falling back onto Roman's shoulder. He got a kiss from both teens, and everything drifted away._

* * *

><p>Seth woke up slowly, not really remembering falling asleep, but not caring. His eyes fluttered open to see Dean and Roman looking down at him with small smiles on their faces. He let his eyes drift shut once more, until he realized that they weren't smiling.<p>

Seth shot straight up and threw himself off Roman's bed, backing away from the bed as if it had burned him. He took in Roman and Dean's faces, panicked, and he vaguely noticed the damp, sticky substance in his shorts. Roman, in fact, wasn't smiling, but grimacing at Seth. Dean was smiling, but it was one of those you-just-fucked-up smirks. Seth felt his face heat up as the pieces began falling together.

"Did...did I...?"

Dean and Roman nodded.

"Against your leg?" Seth pointed to Roman.

"Yeah."

It was Seth who nodded, the youngest teen still sitting on the floor. "Can I borrow some shorts?"

* * *

><p>Seth didn't go to Roman's house for a week. Hell, he probably wouldn't ever have gone back, had it not been for Dean and his pestering.<p>

"It wasn't that bad."

"Bad? Dean, I fucking came on his leg! Had a fucking wet dream on his bed! It's fucking terrible." Seth exclaimed, sitting back against his headboard and looking out his window.

"Yeah, well, I was there too, and I'm talking to you right now," Dean responded, sitting on Seth's bed. "So what if you had sex with his leg, no biggie."

Seth hit him with a pillow. "Dick," He muttered as Dean laughed.

"You certainly used yours," Another hit. "Hey, so, I have a question."

"What is it?" Seth laid back on his bed, placing the pillow he was hitting Dean with over his face.

"Was the dream about me and Roman?"

Seth instantly shot up, his face bright red as he looked at Dean. The older teen looked completely serious, and Seth sighed before he answered. "Yeah."

"What happened?"

"What?"

"Like, in the dream, what happened? What'd we do?"

Seth, his face still blushing bright red, looked at Dean like he had three heads. "You wanna know?"

"Hell yeah," Dean said, crawling in front of Seth. "C'mon, what'd we do?"

"Oh, uh, well...there was kissing."

"I assumed that."

"And touching."

"That too."

"You, uh...you...gave me a blowjob..." Seth trailed off.

"Really?" Dean raised an eyebrow, and Seth nodded. "Was I good?"

"Very," Seth chuckled. "Um...Roman, he, kinda, y'know, uh...fingered me."

"Fingered? Don't you do that to girls, how do you - oh."

Seth nodded, a sheepish smile on his face. "Yeah."

"I have no idea how gay sex works, dude," Dean said, flopping back on Seth's bed. "Well, I mean, I know you get to put your dick somewhere."

"That's all that matters."

"Bingo."

Seth chuckled once more before climbing on top of Dean, straddling the older teen's hips and laying his head on his shoulder. One of Dean's hands came up to rest on Seth's lower back, much like he had in Seth's dream. Seth found it strange that Dean was so unaffected by him, especially after what Seth had just admitted, but then again, Dean probably didn't feel the same way Seth did.

"Seth?"

"Mhm." Seth mumbled, his face buried in Dean's neck while Dean rubbed his back gently.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Seth didn't even answer, he just leaned up and pressed his lips to Dean's. Dean sat up, Seth going with him, and wrapped his arms around Seth's waist without separating their lips. Seth's arms wrapped tightly around Dean's neck, messing with the curls at the nape of the older teen's neck. His dream did absolutely no justice for Dean's kissing skills; he was fucking _perfect_ at kissing. He didn't let his mind stray to how Dean got so good at kissing, though.

They kissed for a good few minutes, pulling away only briefly to breathe. Dean's hands eventually started making their way under Seth's shirt, his tongue simultaneously running along the seam of Seth's closed lips. Seth's mouth opened almost instantly, his tongue tangling with Dean's in a desperate, messy dance.

Seth's shirt came off, Dean's following soon after, and Seth pressed himself as close as he possibly could to Dean, the skin-on-skin contact suddnely addictive. Dean's hands were all over Seth's beautifully tanned (and oddly hairless) upper body, and Seth found himself arching into those amazing hands. Those same hands, though, moved down, immediately attempting to get Seth's shorts off.

"Stop," Seth gasped, his lips still brushing against Dean's while he grabbed the older teen's wrists.

"Too far?" Dean sounded concerned as he placed his hands on Seth's hips before kissing his cheek.

"A little," Seth breathed out, letting his hands drift up Dean's chest and around his neck once more. This time, though, Seth just embraced Dean, feeling arms wrap around him as well.

* * *

><p>the aftermath, part one. so, account update! i decided to get rid of no one ever loved, seeing as it was extremely unpopular, and it was too much stress on me to try and manage two main stories at once. i'm keeping our secret, it just won't be a spinoff anymore, just a stand-alone story that focuses on roman and hunter. so sorry if anyone liked that story, i just lost all inspiration for that story. reviews are welcomed with open arms!<p> 


	9. The Aftermath, Part Two

Roman didn't know how to feel.

He liked Dean. A lot. And apparently Dean liked him, seeing as he was fully willing to kiss him. What a kiss it was, too. The circumstances were odd, to say the least. Roman hated to think that Seth's little dream had just gotten Dean going, and that was the reason he kissed him. Though, he did seem pretty willing to get kissed the first time around, until his mom interrupted.

_His mom._

Fuck, she wanted to talk, didn't she? Maybe she could help. Roman wasn't sure how much she knew about having crushes on your long-time best friend of the same sex, but you never really knew with moms.

He pulled himself out of his bed and padded out of his room, walking downstairs and to his mom's office.

"Roman? Do you need something?" Her soft voice called out, prompting Roman to turn and look at her. She was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a concerned look on her face.

"Uh, yeah, I do, actually," Roman follows his mom into the kitchen and takes a seat in one of the stools at the counter. "So...you know how you kinda walked in on me and Dean?"

She raised and eyebrow and looked back at Roman. "Ah, so that's what this is about," She says, opening a cabinet and taking out a box of tea bags. "Honestly, Roman, it's okay. You're exploring. It's fine."

"We never really got to kiss," Roman says. "At least, before you walked in." He mutters the last part.

"I figured that," Patricia retorts, filling a pot up with water and putting it on the stove, which Roman didn't even see her turn on.

"Yeah, but, we kinda did, y'know..."

"Kiss?" Roman nods sheepishly, and a small smile graces his mother's face. "Roman, sweetie, it's fine. Dean's a nice kid."

"I think I like him," Roman states, looking at his mom. Scratch that, he _knew_ he liked Dean, but he didn't want to tell his mom that.

She nods, slowly, and raises an eyebrow. "Like him, as in, romantically?" Another sheepish nod from Roman. "How'd you come to that conclusion?"

Roman wasn't sure what else he was expecting from his mother. She worked in a school for, shit, before he was even born. She was pregnant with Roman's older brother when she got her job. She's still working in a school, but instead of a teacher, she's a therapist. Meaning, she knows how to make you talk.

"I mean, it wasn't just all at once. It was kinda slow-going, I guess?" He shrugs and takes the mug of tea his mother gives him. "Like, I started to admire the way he acted. He's brash but real vulnerable, and, I don't know, I like it," Roman looks down at the counter and smiles. "He's pretty handsome, too. He's got really nice eyes."

"He does," His mother agrees.

Roman's smile only gets bigger. "I like him, mom, but I don't know what to do." The smile was wiped from Roman's face, replaced by a helpless expression.

She sighs and leans on the counter, looking directly at Roman. "You mentioned he was brash, yet vulnerable. You know that we're a protective family, caring for people is practically in your blood," Her expression was soft, and her eyes were full of love. Roman never felt more comfortable. "When he's vulnerable and needs someone, you feel attracted to him because you feel like you can protect him, and you want to protect someone."

"That makes sense," Roman nods.

"And, with the brashness, well, that's...I'm not sure you want to speak of that right now," She pats the top of Roman's hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roman asks, his brows furrowed.

Patricia sets her mug down and sighs again. "You're used to protecting others. You've protected Seth for over a decade. Now, not only have you found someone new to protect, you've also found someone who's a bit more...edgy, so to say," She says, patting Roman's hand once more. "I don't want to say 'dominant,' because I know how you are, but that's really all that comes to mind. You aren't in charge when Dean's around, like you are with Seth."

"Okay, well, what does all that mean?" Roman's voice was soft, a stark contest to his almost bitchy question.

"You're intrigued. Interested. Dean facinates you, quite simply."

Roman nodded, but didn't say a word.

"It'll all make sense soon enough," His mother says softly, kissing his forehead before leaving the kitchen.

"Wait, Mom?" Roman calls out, his mother turning around just before she left the kitchen. "What do you know about wet dreams?"

She laughs. "Roman, sweetie, if stuff like that is happening-"

"I'm asking for a friend!" Roman's face flushes.

Again, she laughs, but softer this time. "Ask your father. Or your brother."

* * *

><p><em>"Hello?"<em>

"Hey, Seth, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to come over?"

_"Like, now?"_

"Yeah, if that's alright with you."

_"Uh, yeah, I'll be there in a bit."_

Roman hung up, as did Seth, and Roman couldn't help but sigh as he placed his phone down. Seth hadn't contacted him in over a week. He was leaving to check out another college in a few days, and he didn't want to leave on a bad note like he did the last time. That was a shitty few days, between the traveling and the lack of contact with Seth and everything else that made that trip suck.

Abotu fifteen minutes after their call, there was a knock on Roman's bedroom door.

"Come in."

Seth walked in tentatively, his hair tied back in a ponytail, his brown eyes filled with confusion. He didn't say a word, but his tense position spoke volumes for Roman. The older teen just sat in his bed, extending a hand in Seth's direction. Seth took it and allowed Roman to pull him closer, those big hands resting on his waist, Seth's own hands landing on Roman's broad shoulders.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"You've been ignoring me."

"Have not."

"Have to."

Seth sighed and took a rare chance to look down at Roman. The older teen's chin was resting right below Seth's chest, his hands now clasped behind Seth's back while Seth stood between his legs. "Roman..."

"Look, if this is about your little thing a few days ago, it's fine," Roman states, pulling Seth down so he was sitting on his lap. "It happens to everyone, no big deal."

"Actually, huge deal," Seth corrects, pushing off Roman's lap. "How are you so calm after that? Like, had you been Dean, he would've punched me by now."

"Are you forgetting that Dean was in the bed...?"

"But I was all up against you, Rome."

Roman stood up and walked over to Seth, wrapping his arms around the younger teen's waist and peppering kisses down his neck. "You remember our agreement?"

"The kissing thing?" Seth's response was a bit breathier than he anticipated, but really, no one would be able to to keep their composure under Roman's lips.

"Yeah," Roman answered, nipping at a particularly sensitive spot on Seth's neck before moving his lips up to the smaller teen's ear. "We have our thing. Seth, you know that I like you. You having a sex dream in my presence doesn't change how I feel."

"Alright," Seth sighs, turning around in Roman's arms and wrapping his arms around Roman's neck.

"Hey, uh, what was it even about?" Roman asks. "Y'know, the dream?"

"What? Oh, nothing, nothing," Seth says quickly, pressing a kiss to Roman's lips as the older teen tried to respond. Roman let him do what he wanted, but Seth's very obvious dismissal of his question left a very heavy weight on his shoulders.

* * *

><p>"This seems extremely familiar."<p>

Roman smiles softly and looks over at Dean, the Ohio native laying down on the grass and staring right back at him. The bright sun made his blonde hair nearly glow, and his eyes were the most impossible shade of blue. It was the day before Roman left for Georgia to check out another college, and Dean had insisted on coming over instead of letting Roman pack.

"Yeah, it does." Roman agreed.

"Hey, did you ever talk to Seth?" Dean asks after a few comfortably silent minutes.

"Yeah, we cleared everything up," Roman glances back down at Dean. "He's fucking mortified, you know."

"Oh yeah, he came to me and started talking about it. He was afraid you'd be mad at him."

"I don't think I have the ability to be mad at him."

Both teens laughed softly before slipping into another one of those comfortable silences. Eventually, Dean reached over and placed a hand on Roman's hip, his fingertips slipping just under the older teen's shirt. Roman looked down at him, Dean's face breaking out into a smile at the sight of Roman's confused face.

"You know...if you wanna sit on my lap and start making out with me, I'd be cool with it."

Roman scoffed and rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face didn't falter at all. He turned and straddled Dean's hips, placing his hands on the younger teen's chest before leaning down and kissing him. Dean's arms almost immediately wrapped around Roman's waist, his lips eagerly kissing Roman's. Their first kiss was memorable, no doubt, but it wasn't shit compared to the kiss they were sharing in that moment. Dean hadn't given himself the time to focus on Roman's beautiful lips, or the way he seemed to be shy about kissing Dean. Dean sat up, Roman going with him, and tightened his arms around Roman's waist.

"Wait," Roman pulled back, and Dean nearly groaned, until he saw the look on Roman's face.

"What's up, Rome? You alright?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just...did Seth tell you about his dream?" Roman asked shyly, idly playing with the hem of Dean's shirt. "Like, I asked him, but he refused to say anything."

"It's no big deal," Dean says, giving Roman a small squeeze.

"I hope so."

* * *

><p>woo! late update! alright, so, we hit over 50 reviews on this story! thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing, it means the world to me! reviews are, as always, welcome with open arms!<p> 


	10. Allowed

**U with Seth?**

**_nope_**

**Y not?**

**_go to hell_**

**U good?**

**_roman i swear to god i will shave your eyebrows_**

And Roman didn't say anything back. He was going to give Dean his space, but for the record, it was..._not_ 9 in the morning, but 8 in the morning, and Roman had woken up Dean an hour ahead of what he's used to. Oops. Though, Roman had to get up at four, so he was having a hard time feeling bad for Dean. He was a dick pretty much all the time, but he was even more of a dick in the mornings.

They were driving to Georgia, instead of, y'know, _flying_. Which would take about an hour and didn't require Roman getting up at some ungodly hour of the morning. Waking up sucked, especially when it wasn't originally planned. They weren't supposed to take their Georgia trip till mid-July, and it was June 27th when they left. Roman checked his phone, as if he'd gotten some phantom text message in the last five minutes. There was nothing - shocker - and Roman locked his phone before closing his eyes and trying his best to get comfortable in the car. Roman had gotten used to a lot of things since he had his last growth spurt, but long car rides weren't one of them.

Once he finally settled himself in a halfway-comfortable position, and he could actually pretend to sleep, he started thinking about Dean and Seth. Dean knew more about Seth's dream than he was letting on, and Seth just refused to say anything. He'd heard Seth say his and Dean's names, but he didn't know why. Was it about him? Was he _in_ it? Roman didn't think he was asking for much, he just wanted a few simple answers, nothing major. And Dean, he was just being shady. He knew about it, and Roman knew that for a fact, but Dean just wanted to beat around the bush.

Was it okay to feel betrayed when you weren't in a relationship with either party?

"Roman, are you okay?" He was brought out of his thoughts by his mother's soft voice.

"Uh, yeah, I'm good," He replies, putting on the best smile he could muster.

Patricia raised an eyebrow; Roman saw it in the rearview mirror. "Are you thinking about Dean?"

"What?" Roman asks, feeling his face heat up. "N-no, mom, absolutely not."

"Dean? As in, Ambrose? That one?" His dad asks from the drivers seat. "Why would Roman be thinking of him?"

"No reason," Roman says quickly.

"He thinks he might like Dean."

"Like him?"

"Yes, in a romantic way," His mom smiled at him in the rearview mirror. "Isn't that sweet?"

"It's...interesting."

Roman's dad didn't say another word for the entire drive.

* * *

><p>Seth was groaning. Not the sexy kind of groan, either, one of those long, drawn-out, my-mom-wants-me-to-do-something-but-I-don't-want-to-do-it groans. He'd let out a groan for as long as he could, and then the oxygen deprivation would get to him, but he was back to groaning as soon as he had his breath back. He was being annoying as fuck, quite simply.<p>

Dean, on the other hand, was speechless. He'd have kicked Seth, had he not been so stunned. Seth had obviously taken it as a bad sign, seeing as he was groaning till he was - literally - blue in the face. Dean wasn't sure what Seth expected, though. You don't just say something like he did and get a stoic reaction out of it. Dean was also partly mortified, but whatever. At least he wasn't the only one with a crush.

* * *

><p><em>"You still like Roman, right?"<em>

_"Uh, yeah, why?"_

_Dean shifted a bit and sat directly in front of Seth. "Well, we've been kissing - y'know, you and me - and I guess I just wanted to know where you stood."_

_"Like, relationship-wise?"_

_"No, like, liking-wise."_

_"I stand right on the line that stands for, 'I have massive crushes on my two best friends," Seth admitted, watching as Dean's baby blue eyes widened. "Shitty place to be, huh?"_

_Understandable, actually, but Dean would never admit that. At least, not at that time. "You like me _and_ Roman?"_

_"Yeah," Seth breathes out. "Like I said, it's shitty."_

_"Does Roman know?"_

_"About him? Yeah. About you? No."_

_"Have you and Roman ever, like..." Dean looked at Seth in a helpless sort of manner, earning a chuckle from Seth._

_"Haven't gone past kissing. Well, actually, I got to take his pants off, and wow, he..."_

_"Built like a god," Dean finished. _

_"His ass too, Dean, his ass, Jesus Christ."_

_"He's certainly a looker," Dean chuckled. "So, what would you say if I told you that...uh, I'm sorta, y'know, in the same situation?"_

_Seth's brows furrowed, but they soon smoothed out and raised as he seemed to realize what Dean was saying. "You mean..."_

_"Mhm," Dean nodded._

_"Both of us?"_

_"Yeah."_

_They let that settle between them for a few minutes. Neither said a word for a few minutes. So, they liked each other. And Roman. Speaking of, neither teen knew where he stood. _

_"So...you and him kissed, right?"_

_"Yeah," Seth admits. "I think he likes me."_

_"Well, if kissing constitutes as liking, then he sure does like me."_

_"You guys kissed?"_

_"Yup," Dean said it in a cocky sort of way. Seth told about his kiss pretty confidently, too, but for good reason. _

_Roman hadn't had a girlfriend or boyfriend of any kind. He was, like, a relationship virgin. Well, there was that time that everyone thought he was sneaking around with John Cena - a senior, the captain of the football team, and someone who had a certain interest in Roman - but they were real quick to shut it down. Roman was all pure and innocent, and it simultaneously sucked and rocked. _

_"Well," Seth begins, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You like me, and Roman, and I like you and Roman, and Roman most likely likes the both of us."_

_"Meaning...?"_

_"What if we made this a thing? All three of us?"_

* * *

><p>And there they were. Dean couldn't tell if the red in Seth's face was from hanging upside down off his bed or the embarrassment. Which, of course, was reasonable. A three way? Was that even allowed? It was like one of those bad vampire movies with the love triangles, only they all liked each other. At least, they both hoped so. They couldn't do anything about Roman until he came back. Still, Seth had the idea for a three way. The worst part of it?<p>

Dean was actually kind of open to it.

Maybe they could work something out. Dean was pretty sure that, just in case, him and Seth could start something up. Roman, though...Dean really hoped he'd get some sort of chance with him, too.

"Seth."

"What?"

"I never said I was against your idea, you know..."

"Yeah, but it was kinda implied," Seth says, rolling onto his stomach and looking up at Dean. "You looked at me like I had three heads. That's not exactly a vote of confidence."

"Well, look at it this way, you just found out the guy you like likes you and the other guy you like, who conveniently likes you and the other guy you like, and one guy throws out the idea of a threesome," Dean snaps. "Not exactly something to applaud, Seth."

Seth shied away after that, not saying a word for a while. Dean finally musters up enough common sense to move forward and wrap his arms around Seth, plant a soft kiss on his cheek and tell him he was sorry. Seth just curled into Dean, and they stayed like that. No worries, no relationships, just comfort. They didn't need additives at that moment. They just needed each other. And, of course, Roman, at some point, but that wasn't the point.

* * *

><p>short chapter is short. i lost the entire last part of the chapter due to wifi issues and had to rewrite it. nothing to say other than i'm sorry. reviews are welcome.<p> 


	11. Memories

a very non-ambrolleigns chapter, but very important by means of story progression.

* * *

><p>Of the very few things Roman was sure of, he was sure that he liked Georgia Tech better than Florida. Better campus, better offer, better...everything. At least, for Roman. His parents widely preferred Florida, but then again, they were fully aware the it was the closest to home as well, and Roman's mom wasn't dealing too well with the whole, "My baby boy is leaving for college in a year," thing.<p>

Speaking of his mom, she had apologized profusely after she'd found out about Roman not wanting his dad to know about Dean. Roman accepted (like he had a fucking choice), and conviniently forgot to remind her that he'd also kissed Seth, like she'd forgotten about the youngest teen.

Roman's dad didn't say a word about Roman and his thing for Dean. Though, something inside Roman told him that his dad was none to pleased with the thought of his son being with another boy. Which was heartbreaking, but Roman kinda expected it. Well, as much as he could expect it. He wasn't exactly planning on his mom ratting him out.

He just shook his head and leaned back in his seat, turning his music up as loud as he could without bursting his eardrums. He didn't want to think about relationships, or parents, or college or any of that other shit that was making him go mad, no, he wanted to think of home. He wanted to think of going home, and being attacked with hugs from Dean and Seth, and going to Randy's Fourth of July party the following week. Stress wasn't on his agenda.

They were less than half an hour away from home, which, if Roman did his math correctly, would take around 6 songs on his playlist, so if he managed to focus on the music, he'd be all good. That is, unless his mom decided to start a conversation.

"Roman?"

It took a few tries, since Roman had his music turned up so loud, but he finally noticed her. "Yeah?" He asked, taking his headphones off.

"Are you alright? You look tired."

"I'm fine," He said flatly, looking out the window.

Which, if it counts, was a lie. He was stressed, and tired, and he looked like shit but his mom didn't need to know that. He could continue lying about the dark circles under his eyes, and his constant silence, and whatever else. He'd been doing it for a solid few days.

"You sure?" She knew better. She knew _so much_ better.

Roman only nodded.

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, there wasn't anybody at Roman's house when they arrived. Nor was there anybody there an hour after they arrived. Roman almost let his mind stray to what Dean and Seth could be doing, until he heard the bell ring downstairs. For an irrationally exciting second, Roman considered going downstairs, but he decided against it.<p>

His mom, however, had decided against _that_.

"Roman, come down here."

He took that lonely second to groan out loud before going down the stairs, feeling all of the air in his body rush out as he saw who was standing in the living room with his parents.

"John."

* * *

><p>"So, how's this gonna go down?"<p>

Seth rolled his eyes, halfheartedly smacking Dean's chest. "We're just gonna tell him how we feel," He said flatly. "Hopefully he feels the same way."

"How encouraging," Dean chuckled.

They were driving to Roman's house, well, Dean was driving to Roman's house, and Seth was clinging to the passenger side door in case of a tuck-and-roll escape. Seth had no idea that it was possible for someone to get worse at driving, but apparently Dean had fully acheived it. He always blamed it on the weather, though (_"It's easier to drive in the rain."_).

Dean lived a whopping 15 minutes from Roman, and they could've easily walked, but Dean insisted on trying to drive. For what reason, Seth didn't know.

"Hey...did they get a new car?"

"What?" Dean glanced over at Seth like he had three heads. "I doubt it. They to went Georgia for school, not cars."

"Maybe they got Roman a car?"

"Seth, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"There's a car parked in front of Roman's house, dumbass, look." Seth pointed forward, and sure enough, there was a shiny, very new-looking Range Rover parked in front of Roman's house.

"That's not theirs," Dean said, suddenly tensing up as he stared at the car.

"Then who's-" Seth stopped as the front door of Roman's house opened, Roman walking out with none other than John ex-captain-of-the-football-team Cena. John had an arm casually thrown around Roman's waist, his thumb hooked in Roman's belt loop. The worst of it all?

Roman looked really fucking happy.

Dean just shook his head as he made a nearly perfect u-turn and drove back to his house.

* * *

><p>John's head turned, a dimpled smile breaking out on his face at the sight of Roman. "Hey, kid," He greeted, walking up to Roman and pulling him into a one-armed hug. "I've missed you."<p>

"Same here," Roman breathed out, looking briefly at his parents before turning his attention to John. "I thought you were in Boston...?"

"Came back," John shrugged, that same goofy grin still plastered to his face. "So, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the beach, maybe?" He asks tentatively, his blue eyes bluer than every.

"Uh, sure," Roman said. He was about to ask his parents, but he saw his mom nod before walking away, and he took that as a vote of confidence.

He lead John out of the house, feeling the older teen slide an arm around his waist as they walked to his car. John, ever the gentleman, opened Roman's door for him, and laughed at the slight flush on Roman's face. John climed into the drivers side, and wow, as if Roman wasn't already confused beyond belief, John leaned over and kissed him.

John always made up excuses like beach trips and extra football practice to have a chance to make out with Roman in his car. Roman's parents always believed it, even when John was dragging Roman to "football practice" close to everyday, and to the beach in the middle of winter. There was just something about John the screamed "trustworthy," and it confused the fuck out of Roman.

"Stop," Roman mumbled, pushing John back slightly.

"Oh, oops," John chuckled, smiling at Roman. "Guess I should've warned you, right?"

"A prior word would've been appreciated."

"Look at you, using your big-kid words."

"Fuck you."

John laughed, but he reached over and grabbed one of Roman's hands. "I really missed you," He mumbled, leaning over and kissing Roman's temple.

Roman smiled softly. "I missed you too."

The drive to the beach was mostly silent, aside from the occasional passing comment from John about a renovated building or a missing tree. Roman could barely count how many times he and John had taken that exact route in the time they'd known each other, so it didn't surprise him that John noticed such small details.

They got to the beach quickly. John was acting unusually polite; he opened Roman's door, held his hand, did nothing that he did before he'd gone to Boston. Roman chose not to question it, knowing that he'd never get a direct answer from the older teen. They went to their usual spot, way off to the left of the beach and real close to the water, but not close enough to get wet.

"You excited for your senior year?" John asked as they say down.

"I guess," Roman answered. "I'm a little worried about it, y'know, with classes getting harder."

"You're a smart kid," John replied, snaking an arm around Roman's waist and pulling the younger teen closer to him. "You don't have to worry about anything."

"Whatever."

"I'm telling the truth," John moved closer to Roman, close enough to whisper right in Roman's ear. "You're pretty much perfect."

Roman shivered slightly as he felt John's lips brush against his ear. "What is your deal?"

"What do you mean?" John was smiling as he leaned down and kissed Roman's neck.

"Four months ago you weren't like this, and we were practically dating."

John tensed. "But we weren't dating," He said, pulling away from Roman and looking the younger teen in the eye. "You're aware of that, right?"

"Fully aware," Roman shrugged. "But you never opened doors for me then, or held my hand, or kissed me in public, and we aren't dating now."

"I missed you."

"Thats cool. But I want an answer."

John just sighed. He probably thought Roman was overreacting, like he used to, but Roman didn't care. John fucking left in the middle of April, without telling Roman. He had mentioned that he was going back to Boston for some of the summer, but he'd never said anything about finishing his school year early and leaving. At that point, Roman and John were...close. Like, they'd gotten close, _really_ close.

"I left for family reasons, Roman," John said after a few tense seconds. "And I didn't tell you, I know, but-"

"_But_, you took my virginity and left two days later."

John nearly flinched. At least he knew how Roman felt. His eyes snapped away from Roman and were glued to the gentle waves lapping against the shore for a few minutes, and Roman left him be. John looked back at Roman eventually, and for a split second, it was like nothing had changed. John was the super good-looking senior and Roman was the John's favorite little junior, and John was just trying to keep his reputation intact.

"Don't talk about that anymore."

"Why?"

"What would you say if I said I regretted it?"

"Leaving?"

"Fucking you."

It was Roman's turn to not say anything. John realized what he'd said a bit too late, because once he tried to make things better, Roman was past the point of forgiving.

"Take me home."

John nodded and stood up alongside Roman, keeping a few feet behind him as they walked to the car. Roman climbed in before John could touch the door. Again, it was a silent ride, until John spoke up as they pulled onto Roman's street.

"Are you going to Randy's place for the Fourth of July?"

"I promised Dean and Seth that I'd take them this year."

John nodded. "Look, Roman-"

"I don't care. You regret having sex with me, whatever," Roman muttered, opening his door before John even came to a complete stop. "I didn't expect anything out of your prissy ass anyways." And with that, Roman was slamming the car door and walking to his front door. He didn't say anything about the little beach trip to his parents, he just went straight up to his room, laid on his bed, and tried to fight back the memories of that last night with John.

* * *

><p><em>"God, you're so pretty."<em>

_Roman was already flushed red, between his mild breathlessness and John's lips alternating from kissing his thighs to wrapping around his cock, but he knew his face got even brighter at that comment. He wasn't a girl, dammit, he wasn't pretty, but for John, he'd take the compliment. John drifted back up Roman's body, those talented lips of his pressing against a spot on Roman's neck that had him arching up and whimpering. _

_"Roman?"_

_"Mhm."_

_"Can I fuck you?"_

_Roman gasped softly, John's lips pressing against his neck once more. "Uh..."_

_"I'll be really gentle, baby," John mumbled, pushing some stray hairs off of Roman's face. "Just let me make love to you."_

_As if Roman could deny that. He nodded, and John reached over, opened a drawer, and pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube. Roman vaguely remembered it from the one time he let John finger him, but he'd ended up hating it, so they never really got that far anymore. Yet, here they were, Roman all spread out on John's bed while John lubed up his fingers and pressed one against Roman's hole. _

_From then, things were a bit of a blur. John fingered and teased Roman until the younger teen was practically sobbing, and very blatantly beggin for John to fuck him. As he'd promised, John was incredibly gentle. He gave Roman all the time he neededm. He'd gone with whatever pace or anything else that Roman wanted, and they came together. John took care of Roman after, too. He cleaned him up, and gave him some clothes to sleep in (which he let Roman keep). All in all, Roman was treated right. _

* * *

><p>Roman was so in love with John. Of course, the next day, John acted completely normal, like he hadn't taken Roman's virgingity the night before, and he left the day after that. Now Roman knew the truth. It hurt, yeah, but knowing the truth was better than living a lie.<p>

Roman chose to forget about John for the moment, and pulled out his phone, typing out a quick message to Dean.

**Hey, I'm back. You with Seth?**

**_why do you care_**

**I wanna see you guys?**

**_you seem to be pretty happy seeing john_**

Roman dropped his phone.

* * *

><p>so, i apologize if anyone doesn't like john and roman, but honestly, john is just a passing character that i need to make the story move on. nothing too major will happen with him and roman, and the main pairing is still ambrolleigns. reviews are welcomed with open arms!<p> 


	12. All Had Closure

How the fuck did they know?

Nobody even went to that part of the beach. The entire place was deserted, and Roman doubted they saw John's car anywhere. Unless, you know, they did...

Roman picked up his phone, and instead of texting Dean, he called him. The younger teen didn't answer the first time. Or the second time. The third time around, he answered, but he hung up as if he didn't mean to answer. Roman called Seth after that, knowing that they had to be together, or Seth at least knew what was up with Dean. Thankfully, Seth answered on the first try.

"Seth."

"Roman."

"What'd you see?"

"John's car."

"Where?"

"Your house."

"When?"

"A few hours ago, Roman," Seth said all-too-sweetly. "Y'know, when he was practically taking your pants off in your front yard."

Shit. John did pull his shorts down a little, didn't he? "Seth, look, it isn't what it looked like-"

"You don't know what I thought it was," Just by the tone of his voice, Roman could tell that Seth had that bitch face that he did on, and he most likely had the phone on speaker.

"The fuck I don't," Roman snapped, and god, did he hate himself for it. He never snapped on Seth. "You don't know what we were doing, okay. But you've never liked John because you thought he was dating me, and you're angry that he was hanging out with me. Seth-"

"Don't you fucking _dare_-"

"Are you jealous?"

"Absolutely not!" Seth exclaimed, but Roman knew he was lying.

"Jesus fuck, Seth, it's _John_. He's a self-centered asshole, I don't want any part of that."

"But I don't know that."

"I just told you," Roman groaned. "Look, you don't wanna listen to me? Fine. Awesome. Great. But I know you, and I know Dean, and I know that the two of you hate John with a passion, but there is nothing going on between us."

Seth didn't say a word.

"I liked John, I admit it. He was older and mature and he liked me, and I liked that. Now he'd just a dick," Roman admitted. "Think what you want. But I have no feelings for him."

Seth huffed over the phone, and there was some shuffling, some muffled talking, and the speaker was obviously turned off. Though, the voice in his ear wasn't Seth's, it was Dean's slowly deepening, raspy voice. "How do you feel about him?"

"What?"

"_How do you feel about him_?"

Roman sighed. "I liked him. A lot, actually..." He trailed off, a soft smile slipping onto his lips. "But not anymore." The smile was gone.

"What about us?"

"'Us' as in...?"

"Seth and I." It was quiet where Dean was; he either smothered Seth with a pillow or he was in the hallway.

"Well, uh..." Roman was thankful for being on the phone, because he was blushing. "I, um, y'know..."

"I don't know, Roman," Dean sounded so mature. It was weird. "Tell me the truth."

It took a few moments for Roman to let the words out. "I like you guys."

There was a soft gasp right in Roman's ear, and some more assorted noises, before Seth's voice returned. "Rome?"

"Hi, Seth."

"Can we come over?"

Roman looked at his clock; 7:48 PM. Thankfully, it was still light outside. A little. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, two sets of fists were banging on his bedroom door. Roman opened it, and Seth was almost immediately latched onto him, legs and arms wrapped around Roman in a vice while his face hovered mere inches away from Roman's. Dean, meanwhile, closed the door and plopped down on Roman's bed, seemingly perfectly content with just watching Seth and Roman.<p>

"You like us?" Seth's voice was eager, and his eyes held excitement that Roman hadn't seen since they were kids.

"Mhm," Roman mumbled, holding Seth up by the backs of his thighs, even though he didn't need to. "A lot."

Seth smiled and surged forward, pressing his lips to Roman's in an adorably excited kiss. Roman kissed back with just as much energy, his grip on Seth's legs subconsciously tightening. Seth made a soft little noise, and Roman felt Seth's tongue running along the seam of his lips shyly. Roman opened his mouth, feeling Seth's grip on his body tighten as their tongues tangled.

"Hey, assholes, I'm here too," Dean chimed in, Seth and Roman pulling away from each other. Roman chuckled, but Seth blushed and let go of Roman, dropping to the floor.

Dean didn't even stand up as Roman walked up to him and leaned down, his lips pressing against Dean's slowly but meaningfully. Roman had his hands on the sides of Dean's face, and Dean's hands were sliding from Roman's shoulders, down his back, and almost to his ass...

"Can we talk about this?"

Dean laughed full-on at Seth's obvious envy, and, without breaking eye contact with the younger teen, took Roman by the back of his thighs and yanked him up onto his lap. One of his hands grabbed a handful of Roman's hair, roughly yanking his head to the side. Roman made a noise a disapproval, but it was cut off as Dean kissed him again, this time less gentle but even more meaningfully.

"Dean, you stupid whore, we came to talk!" Seth whined.

Dean laughed as he pulled away from Roman. "Alright, alright, fine," He holds his hands up in mock surrender, smiling at Roman he slid off his lap, all flushed and flustered but with a small smile of his own.

"So, what'd you wanna talk about?" Roman asks, attempting to fix his hair, seeing as Dean had messed it all up.

"Us." Seth states, plopping down on the other side of Roman and falling back onto the bed.

"Oh, the liking thing?" Roman asks. Both Dean and Seth nod, and Roman continues. "Alright, well...y'all know how I feel."

"Yeah, but..." Seth seemed to have realized that there wasn't too much to talk about.

"You two like each other, right? And I like you guys," Roman shrugged. "No biggie. I guess we gotta smooth some things out, but I'm all good."

"You don't find the idea of being with two people weird?" Dean asks.

"Two _man_ people?" Seth asks, sitting up and looking at Roman.

"Two _boy_ people, Sethie, don't go getting your hopes up," Roman chuckles, ruffling Seth's hair. "And, honestly, no."

"Why not?" Seth looked beyond surprised by Roman, almost like he didn't want him to feel the way he did.

"It's not a big deal, Seth," Roman says. "Two guys, so what? It's the same as being with one, only there's, like, two."

"Nice job adding, honors student," Dean earns a half-hearted smack from Roman, and chuckles. "But really, I kinda expected you to be a little more reluctant."

"Nope," Roman says, laying back on the bed. "All good. I get two cute guys, my life is great."

Seth shakes his head, but smiles nonetheless, and Dean leans down and kisses Roman one more time.

* * *

><p>"You're taking us to Randy's party next week, right?" Dean asks from the passengers seat, looking over at Roman, and nearly gasping.<p>

They were going to the beach in Roman's new-but-not-really-new Jeep that had belonged to his brother, but was restored and given to Roman. It was originally supposed to be a birthday present, but it was still getting fixed at the time, so there they were, driving in Roman's month-late birthday present. They had the top down, and Roman had his hair down, and god _damn_ did he look good.

He still had that glow to him. His eyes were shining, and his smile looked so much brighter. Seth had been yelling awful jokes for the entirety of the drive, provoking those impossibly perfect smiles from Roman. The oldest teen had seemed so much lighter since they'd come to the conclusion on their feelings. They weren't necessarily together, but they all had closure.

Dean was still having a hard time believing he got Roman and Seth. Speaking of, poor Seth had his hair down, probably attempting to achieve what Roman was doing, but only getting shoulder-length strands caught in his mouth. Which Dean couldn't help but laught at; how different Seth and Roman were, yet they fit together so perfectly.

"Yeah, I'm taking y'all," Roman says, making Dean remember he'd spoken.

"Awesome!" Seth exclaimed, the sounds of spitting soon following, hinting at the precense of hair in his mouth.

Roman laughed as he pulled up to the beach, parking the car before getting out and grabbing their towels out of the trunk. Dean and Seth followed as he walked to a more secluded part of the beach, which was a bit shadier with low-bent palm trees and less sand, meaning the waves rushed up a bit further on the shore. Neither Dean nor Seth had ventured to that part of the beach, so they were puzzled as to why roman was taking them there.

"Nice, huh?" Roman asks, laying down the big beach blanket he brought and sitting down on it. "It's clean, not too hot, quiet. I like it."

Seth nodded. "How'd you find this?"

Roman visibly tensed before continuing. "Just wandering around. Got bored." The way he said it was dismissive, and not open to any discussion.

Dean shrugged and peeled off his shirt, throwing it in the general direction of their stuff. He grabbed Roman's hand and pulled him off the ground before grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it off. "You're swimming with me."

Roman smiled softly as Dean dragged him to the water. Even the water was clearer and prettier on that side of he beach, and Dean didn't hesitate as he pulled Roman straight into waist-deep water. Soon they were laughing and swimming, Seth joining them after a few minutes. They made new game which consisted of tackling Roman into the water and kissing him as an apology.

And, in those moments, they didn't have to worry about anything. No school. No relationships. No worries. Just having fun, forgetting about whatever was happening, like the four missed calls on Roman's phone, and the one text from a certain someone:

_**i** **still love you.**_

* * *

><p>so, i kinda wanna do a contest, like, 'whoever guesses who texted roman first gets a one-shot,' but i'm pretty sure y'all already know (or maybe you don't, hm...). anyways! next chapter of my song one-shots is almost done, i just got going on this chapter and i couldn't stop. reviews are welcome with open arms!<p> 


	13. Complete 180

After their trip to the beach (and spending nearly five hours there), Roman finally dropped Dean and Seth off at their respective homes before driving to his own. He went straight to the bathroom and took a shower, the mix of sand, salt water, and whatever he encountered while driving nearly making Roman sick.

He didn't bother to check his phone as he left, since he was with the only two people that he really needs to talk to, and his mom hadn't chewed him out, so he was good there. Anyone else, like Randy or Nikki or his cousins, could wait a couple hours. Or five. Roman finally unlocked his phone, the sight of multiple missed calls and an unread message startling him slightly. He read the text first, and called the sender as soon as he finished reading.

He still loved Roman. Which was funny, considering he never loved Roman in the first place, but whatever kept him sane. He didn't do anything with Roman. He made out with him and had sex with him once, and all of a sudden he's come to this amazing, incomparable conclusion that he was in love with Roman. _Is_ in love with Roman. Who, for the record, could see through all of the bullshit that John had laid. There was actually a split second where Roman's heart fluttered faintly, whatever grasp John had on Roman coming into play, until Roman remembered that John was a prick.

John didn't have any of these deep, meaningful feelings when he was still in school. When he was still where people knew his name, and his family, and his reputation. He isn't John Cena, captain of the football team, super-hot guy with the plastic girlfriend and horrible ability to read people (which is exactly why Roman had been able to pick the whole situation apart to easily), he was just another college student. So, why exactly did he decide to get with Roman after he graduated?

He didn't have anything to lose.

Roman had been able to get to that within about five minutes, and he was all too proud of it.

"Roman, why don't you just listen to me?"

"I am listening to you, and all I'm hearing is rambling," Roman said, laying down on his bed and looking over to his clock - 11:27 PM. He looked at his phone and, yep, they'd been on the phone for nearly 3 hours.

"God, you're impossible," John sighed.

"Oh, I'm impossible? You're the one who fucked with me my entire junior year, actually fucked me, left, came back, said you regretted fucking me, but you actually love me," Roman waited a few seconds, and only heard a soft breath from John, so he continued. "You're lying. Why, I don't know."

"Because I care about you, Roman."

"I bet," Roman snorted out a laugh. "You also care about my ass, but they're one in the same, aren't they?"

"What are you trying to say?" John's voice lowered, just a little bit, but it had shivers going down Roman's spine, and he felt disgusted.

"You wanna fuck me again, don't you?"

"Roman, what the fuck?"

"It's a yes or no question."

John was silent for a good few minutes. Roman actually considered hanging up, until he heard John take a breath, and he listened for an answer. "Yes."

Roman chuckled, a dry, bitter sound, shaking his head. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Excuse me for being attracted to you," John responded. "Maybe I should punch you in the face the next time I see you, missing teeth and a broken nose aren't exactly getting my pants off."

"Seeing you would still hurt more."

A tense silence settled between them, but both were caught in Roman's previous dilemma; wanting to end the conversation, but not knowing if the other will say something. Roman reached over to his nightstand and picked up a picture. It was of him, Dean, and Seth after his first high school football game. Its an accurate description of them, really - Seth's got the biggest, goofiest smile on his face, his arms wrapped around Roman's football pad-covered shoulders; Dean's trying to hide his face, but Roman's mom managed to catch him before he turned around, so he looks like a deer in the headlights; and Roman, well, he's just smiling. Nothing major.

Roman places the picture down as he hears shuffling, meaning John was moving. "Roman...I played you, alright? I took advantage of you, and it didn't mean anything at the time, but now..."

"Now what?"

"I got scared at the beach. I said I regretted it because I didn't want there to be any commitment. Roman, I really, really like you."

"John, look..." Roman sighed and shook his head. "I'll see you at Randy's party, and we'll talk then."

Roman hung up before John could say anything else.

* * *

><p>"Roman seemed a little tense when we tried to talk at the beach," Seth said, looking over at Dean as they walked to Roman's house.<p>

"He's been a little tense about everything, Seth," Dean commented, glancing at Seth.

The younger teen was wearing a plain, white t-shirt, but his jeans were exceptionally tight - and Dean fucking adored it - and hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. They were finally getting to go to Randy's 4th Of July party, so Seth had to make himself "as presentable as possible," which Dean heard as, "My butt is girlier than all the other girls' so I'm gonna show it off."

Dean knocked when they finally got to Roman's house, and he wanted to beat up and have sex with Roman at the same time. He was wearing one of those basic American flag tank tops, a pair of cargo shorts, and his hair was down. He also had a pair of those douchey, knock-off wayfarers with the reflective lenses pushed up onto his head, but Dean - and apparently Seth - were willing to overlook it, seeing as Roman looked _way_ too good.

"Ready for your first big-kid party?" Roman asked with a smile, leading Dean and Seth to his car and climbing in the drivers seat.

"Ha-ha, fuck you," Dean gave Roman the finger as he climbed into the passenger seat. "We're gonna look so out of place next to you."

"What, because of this?" Roman motioned to his outfit. "Dressing like a college douchebag on spring break gets you places."

"So, wear a shirt that barely covers my chest and asshole sunglasses," Seth leaned up from the backseat and gave Roman a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be sure to do that next year."

Roman put the sunglasses on. "Sounds nice, but I never want you to take off those jeans."

"I second that," Dean chimed in. "Since when did you even have those?"

"Not that long, I just wanted something different." Seth shrugged as they pulled out of Roman's driveway.

The drive was mainly silent, seeing as the wind rushing through was loud enough without them yelling. Randy's house was clear across town, in one of the richer neighborhoods, so it was a good fifteen minute drive. They had to park halfway down the block when they did get there due to the amount of people that were already there, and they didn't even need to try to hear the music; people two streets down could. As expected, everyone greeted Roman when he walked in, girls pulling him into tight hugs while guys ruffled his hair and nudged him as he walked.

Seth's hand a nearly a death grip on Dean's wrist as they followed Roman through Randy's huge house. The music was loud, and it smelled like sweat and alcohol and whatever it was that rich people houses smelled like. Seth just about squeaked when he was pulled into a sudden tight hug, not knowing who it was until he felt the big boobs pressing against him, and Dean laughing.

"Aw, Seth!" Nikki laughed, kissing Seth's cheek. Nikki had graduated with John and Randy, and absolutely adored Seth for some unknown reason. "I missed you, cutie!" She'd been drinking.

"I missed you too, Nikki," Seth smiled and allowed himself to be pulled into another hug, this time with Brie, Nikki's twin that wasn't really a twin, who had apparently been talking to Dean.

"Hey, Seth," Brie was a lot calmer, but she'd been that way since she'd gotten with her boyfriend, Daniel. "Where's Roman? I thought you'd be attached to him."

"I was," Seth chuckled. "But your sister kinda aggressively hugged me."

Speaking of Roman, he walked up just then, laughing about something with Randy Orton. "Hey, thought I lost you," Roman commented, his arm somewhat subconsciously sliding around Seth's waist, hooking the fingers of his other hand in Dean's belt loop.

Brie smiled almost knowingly as she grabbed Nikki's arm and started gently dragging her away. "We'll see you guys later," She stopped about halfway and looked back at Roman. "You're texting me at some point, got that?"

Roman nodded, pulling Seth and Dean a little closer without realizing it. "Nikki get excited?" Roman asked, looking down at Seth with a small smile.

"Yeah," Seth breathed out, nodding. "What's her thing with me?"

"Not sure, but it probably cause you're adorable," Roman kissed Seth's cheek, tightening his fingers on Dean's belt loop as he tried to get away. "What're you doing?"

"Gonna go annoy the fuck out of John," Dean said, trying to pry the two fingers Roman had him hooked with off. "C'mon, Rome, please?" Dean stuck out his bottom lip, his hand running up Roman's arm.

"No, just hang out with us. Randy and the guys wanna talk to y'all," Roman began weaving through all the people in Randy's large house to get to the back door, Seth latching onto an arm and Dean holding Roman's other hand.

Seth, apparently, was perfect squishing size, because almost all of the guys that were in the yard pulled him in for either a hug or a headlock, both of which making Seth feel (and look) like he was 12. Roman just laughed and eventually saved Seth, after he'd been passed around to most of the football team. Dean was getting treated a lot better, mainly bro-hugs and fist bumps, and Seth pouted slightly, attempting to fix his ruined ponytail.

Dean and Seth had gotten quite the reputation since Roman's accident at the last game, seeing as they both jumped the stands and ran onto the field. Seth had ran straight to Roman, but Dean got in the kid who tackled Roman's face, and damn near got in a fist fight with him (Dean got a slap in). Both were known for differnet reasons, Seth as a caring little shit and Dean as a fearless motherfucker, but both were respected for helping a teammate. It was good for them, sophmores getting in good with senoirs, and football players no less.

"Oh, Roman, John was looking for you," Big E, a junior, said, an arm slung around Seth's shoulders. E was short but wide as hell, so he made Seth look like a noodle with hair.

"Really?" Roman asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at the back door. "Do you know where he is?"

"Not exactly, but I know he's here," Big E shrugged, Roman rolling his eyes.

"Alright...take care of them, don't hurt 'em, I'm gonna go find John." Roman turned and went into the house. It took a while, and Roman got a lot of noncommittal noises and shrugs, but Nikki finally told him that John was out front. Roman went just there, finding John leaning up against a wall, tapping away at his phone.

"Oh, uh, hey," John said, shoving his phone in his pocket. "Didn't know if you'd be here."

"I told you I would be," Roman said, standing in front of John. "So...you suddenly have feelings for me?"

"I guess," John breathes out.

"Cool," Roman nods. "Look, you were an asshole to me. And I didn't see it then, but I see it now, and no feelings are gonna make me feel different about you."

John nodded, not trace of anger or sadness on his face. "That's fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah," John said. "I mean, I really did treat you badly, no denying that. And even if we did do something about this," He motioned between himself and Roman. "I'm still going back to Boston in August anyways."

"You've just done a complete 180?" Roman asks.

"Apparently," John chuckled. "So, uh...are you seeing anyone?"

Roman smiled and looked down at the ground. "I think so."

"You've already forgotten about me," John placed a hand over his heart, earning a laugh from Roman. "But really, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

John smiled and ruffled Roman's hair before leading him back in the house.

* * *

><p>abrupt endings are fun and if anyone tells you differently they're telling the truth because they're a better writer than i am. late updates aren't cool either, but i'm a master at those, too. we might be getting some brie in the next chapter, and I have some ambrollins drifting around too. reviews are welcomed with open arms<p> 


	14. Hurry

"God, if you don't stop growing, I'm gonna have to hurt you."

"And I'd help."

Roman chuckled and threw and arm around Brie's shoulders, Nikki bumping him with her hip. Brie had insisted that her, Nikki, and Roman meet up after seeing them at the party. Nikki wasn't sure why she was there, though; she'd managed to get herself drunk off her ass when she can't even drink legally.

They walked a little farther and stopped at Brie's favorite coffee place. She'd dragged Roman there countless times - but he'd never admit that he liked the coffee. The group was seated, they ordered, and Roman almost thought Brie had forgotten why she'd brought him there in the first place.

"Something's going on with you three."

_Almost_.

"Uh..."

Thankfully, Nikki cut Roman off. "Wait, who?"

"Roman, Seth and Dean, Nicole."

"They're dating?" Nikki asked, her eyes widening.

The two of them changed from sisters to mother-and-daughter when it came to Roman. "I don't know, Roman?" Brie was quite obviously the mother.

"Uh..." Roman looked out the window at the passing cars, feeling Nikki and Brie's eyes boring into him. "I wouldn't say dating..."

"So what are you, huh?" Nikki pressed, obviously excited.

Roman really didn't know. They were...something. All of them liked each other, and they kissed, but they didn't see why they should put a label on it. Roman saw his coffee arriving as a saving grace, immediately raising the mug to his mouth to avoid talking. The problem with having two sisters that were practically his sisters was that they acted like they were his sisters. Brie was awesome, no doubt, but she was worse than _his_ mom.

"Roman," Brie said, reaching out and placing a hand on Roman's arm. "You know you can tell us anything, right? I mean, we've known you since you were a baby, you don't have to hide anything."

Roman sighed and placed his mug down. "I'm with them. I don't really know how, exactly, but I am."

The fact that Nikki _didn't_ throw herself over the table was surprising. She squealed slightly and stood up, hugging Roman. "Brie, our baby is growing up!" She exclaimed, giving Roman a squeeze. "But, wait...since when were you gay?"

Brie gave Roman a look that screamed _if you tell her the truth I'll castrate you_, and, wow, the things it made Roman _not_ do. Roman just tensed up. Brie knew about he and John's relationship, or lack of one. The thing was, Nikki was dating John at the time. They'd broken up, since neither were willing to have a long-distance relationship. Nikki was oblivious to Brie and Roman in that moment.

"Well?"

"I've always kinda been open to anything, I guess."

Nikki nodded and sat back down. "Well, it's really nice that you finally have boyfriends. You've been single for long enough."

Boyfriends. Roman's heart beat a little faster at the sound of the word. "Uh...yeah."

"That didn't sound too assuring," Brie said, resting her elbows on the table. "Is something up with you guys?"

"Well, no," He shrugged. "Y'know, just, seventeen years without dating anyone and, boom, you have boyfriends. It'd be the same with a girlfriend."

Both Brie and Nikki made faces when Roman said 'seventeen.' "God, that's just, ew," Nikki shuddered, Brie nodding in agreement.

"What?"

"You're seventeen," Brie made another face. "Gross."

"You guys are gonna be 19 soon. That's, like, super close to twenty," Roman said, taking another sip of his coffee. "_I_ feel old."

"But _we're_ older than _you_, and you being seventeen is disgusting," Nikki commented. "We're old women."

Brie rolled her eyes. "Not that old."

"Old," Nikki assured her. "Okay, Roman, so, two guys at once, huh?"

"Mhm," Roman would be lying if he said he didn't know where that was going.

"How do you guys have sex?"

"Nicole!"

* * *

><p>Seth laughed as Dean chased him around his backyard, yelping every time Dean's hands skimmed him. Seth wasn't even sure how or what they were doing, but Roman's absence was the first thing that came to mind. He was the brain. And the transportation. And, you know, a kinda-sorta-really boyfriend, too. The entire atmosphere was different with Roman around. For Seth, it was almost harder to breathe, but he never felt more at ease, which made no sense. Seth had a crush on Roman for years, and now he was with him. It was vaguely surreal, really.<p>

Of course, Seth had Dean, too. The way things changed always made Seth laugh. He and Dean couldn't stand each other for a good amount of time, Roman being the only thing keeping them together. Eventually, they learned to tolerate one another, but Seth always complained about the attention Dean got (which was ridiculous, in hindsight), and Dean never felt like he fit in around Roman and Seth. Yet, somehow, they all fit together.

Dean's fingers skimmed his hips once more, and Seth, ever the graceful little butterfly, tried to speed up. Instead, he tripped over his own foot, tumbling down onto the grass, bringing Dean down as the older teen failed to slow down and tripped over him. They both went down in a giggling heap, Dean sitting up while still on top of Seth.

Seth's giggles stopped as he bit his lip, looking up at Dean. "Wow..." He trailed off, placing his hands on Dean's thighs.

"What?" Dean asked, his own hands resting on Seth's hips.

"You look really good up there," Seth chuckled as Dean blushed, slipping his arms around the blue-eyed boy's waist as he made to move away. "Why are you moving?"

"You're being...weird," Dean squirmed a little, but didn't get away.

"Me saying you look good isn't weird," Seth loosened his grip on Dean. "You just aren't good at taking complements."

"'Cause I'm not supposed to get them," Dean mumbled.

Seth sighed, letting go of Dean and letting him sit up. It really was a damn shame that Dean didn't see what Seth saw. The older teen had been letting his hair grow, much like everyone else, the curly blonde strands falling right above Dean's pretty baby-blue eyes. He'd been getting a light tan all summer, but he was still pale in contrast to Roman and Seth. His body was really thin, but that didn't change how broad his shoulders were, or how small his waist was. Seth couldn't help but smile as he realized he had an all long legs and blonde hair boyfriend, and a tall, dark and handsome boyfriend. Life was fucking great.

"Are you just gonna stare at me all day?"

Seth finally drifted back to earth, sitting up and re-wrapping his arms around Dean's waist. "You're really, really good looking, you know that?"

"I'm not Roman good looking," Dean slid his arms around Seth's neck, pressing himself a but closer.

"Nobody is Roman good looking. You're Dean good looking," Seth corrected. "And I like it."

Dean blushed again, this time a brighter shade of red, and he hid his face in Seth's neck. "You suck."

"Maybe, but you still like me."

"You're a loser."

For such a big loser, Seth still got kissed. Dean pressed his lips to his softly, Seth letting him control the pace for the moment. Their lips moved in unison, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Dean's tongue shyly swept along the seam of Seth's lips, and Seth opened his mouth. All of Seth's nerves felt like they were on fire at the mere touch of he and Dean's tongues. Dean was the first one to pull away, and Seth made a disapproving noise, until Dean shushed him.

"C'mon, I don't want your mom to see us making out in your yard," Dean said, standing up and pulling Seth with him. They nearly toppled over each other as they raced to Seth's room, but they made it on the bed anyways.

* * *

><p>Roman watched with a smile as Brie and Nikki bickered, turning his attention to his phone as it vibrated in his pocket. He smiled as he pulled it out and saw Seth's name on the screen.<p>

"Ooh, you're smiling, that's a boyfriend!" Nikki exclaimed. "Put him on speaker, we wanna hear the happy couple."

Roman chuckled and shook his head, but he did as he was told. "Hey, Seth."

"Hi, Rome," Seth sounded like he always did, just a little breathier, but Brie and Nikki didn't seem to notice. "Hey, uh, fuck, are you still with Brie and Nikki?"

Roman got two sets of raised eyebrows at the sound of Seth's question. "Um, yeah, they're actually right-"

"Oh shit, Dean, don't stop, _please_..."

Roman nearly dropped with phone as he struggled to turn the volume on his phone down, Nikki smacking his arm when he tried to turn off the speaker. "Seth...?"

"Come to my house, oh my god, like, right now," Seth's voice was a good octave above what it usually was, and Dean was obviously there, too.

"Right now?" Roman was blushing furiously, Nikki's hand wrapped around his wrist like a vise while Brie stared at him intently.

"Yes, Roman, _fuck_," Even with the volume down, that was loud.

"Uh, alright, I'll be there in a few."

"Hurry," Seth whimpered. Actually whimpered.

Roman hung up the phone, placing it face-down on the table while burying his own burning face in his hands. What the fuck was that? The most vulgar thoughts came to Roman's mind, mainly consisting of Dean fucking Seth in some kind of way (none of said thoughts were good in a crowded coffee shop; a stiffy wasn't too kind in that situation). Nikki, meanwhile, was laughing, and Brie just had her mouth opened - but was smiling slightly.

"So that's how you have sex!"

"Nicole, please."

* * *

><p>lots of fun. late chapter. the bella twins and roman are actually besties. dean isn't good at taking complements. seth is too cute for his own good. reviews are greatly appreciated!<p> 


	15. Learned It

Roman sat in the backseat of Brie's car, face burning, phone set in silent in his pocket. Nikki was still laughing, while Brie was still shocked. They got a few funny looks as they exited the cafe, between Nikki's hysteria, Roman's flushed appearance, and, for those people that sat near them, the lust-ridden pleads coming from Roman's phone. Of all times for Seth to call, he had to call while Roman was in public. With Nikki and Brie. While Seth was probably getting a blowjob. Was that quite a sight to imagine.

Of course, Roman tried to not think of Dean on his knees for Seth. Tried not to think of Seth naked. Tried not to think of either of them naked. He'd obviously thought about that kind of stuff before - he was pretty much dating them, after all - but when it was actually real? It had Roman's heart racing and his face heating up and, god dammit, his dick hardening.

"Roman? You alright back there?" Brie asked, the faintest hints of a smile on her face. Roman just nodded. "I can't believe you kept it on speaker."

"It wasn't really my choice," Roman fought back. "Nikki would dig her nails into me whenever I tried to pull away."

"You're too nice to me," Nikki gained her composure long enough to gasp out a sentence.

"I'm just gonna be a complete dick from now on, okay?"

"It'll help you in the long run!"

Roman shook his head and looked out the window. He told Brie as they left the cafe to just drop him off at Seth's, since he could easily walk home whenever they finished...whatever they were doing. The cafe was a few minutes away from Seth's place, most of that time being spent in silence. It's not like Roman would be able to keep up a conversation anyways. All he could think of was the image of Seth, on his back, with Dean between his legs (which, evidently, was very distracting).

"Do they always give you calls like that?" Nikki asked, looking at Roman through the rearview mirror.

"That was the first time."

"Have you guys ever...y'know...gone _that_ far?"

"With me around? No. Those two alone? Couldn't tell you."

* * *

><p>The way they entered Seth's room could only be considered as stumbling. They got upstairs and to the door without any conflict, but once they stepped into Seth's room, they were kissing again. Seth ended up tripping over a shoe as he walked backwards, bringing Dean down with him. Thankfully, his bed was right behind him, so there was no injury. Only Dean being on him quicker.<p>

Dean almost instantly had his hands under Seth's shirt, pulling it up and over Seth's head once he sat up. He started peppering kisses down Seth's neck and chest, obviously not wanting to waste any time. Quickly, Dean made it to the waistband of Seth's shorts. Seth was already panting softly, looking down at Dean with wide eyes and parted lips. Dean looked back up at him, tentatively raising his hand and placing it on Seth's thigh.

"Shit..." Dean breathed out, his actions finally catching up with him. "Do you wanna do this? Like, I won't push you but-"

"Yeah," Seth breathed out, nodding.

Dean let out a breathy little chuckle, resting his forehead on Seth's hipbone. He felt fingers tugging at one of his curls, and he looked up to see Seth smiling down at him.

"I wanna kiss you again."

Dean was more than happy to scramble back up and press his lips to Seth's, the younger teen's tongue swiping along the seam of his lips. He opened his mouth happily, allowing Seth's tongue to tangle with his. Seth's hands wandered down Dean's sides and gripped at the hem of his t-shirt, Dean sitting up and pulling the garment off.

They both stopped then, both teens resting their hands on each other's hips, neither one too sure what to do. Seth's hand drifted to the side, but only his fingertips rested on Dean's waistband. It wasn't awkward, per se, but both teens slowly figured out what sexual tension meant.

"Fuck it," Dean muttered before wriggling down Seth's body and grasping the waistband of his shorts. He took a deep breath before he actually pulled the shorts off, and even then, Seth still had his boxers on. "Are you nervous? Am I alone? I'm not the only nervous one, right?"

"Dean, you don't have to do this..."

"But I want to," Dean all but whined. "I'm just...a gentleman."

"Really?"

"Seth, shut the fuck up."

Seth shook his head and settled back into the pillows, watching as Dean slid his hand up his thigh. Seth gasped as Dean's fingers finally came in contact with with his cock. It was shy, and soft, and everything that Dean wasn't, but it worked. Dean's long fingers wrapped around Seth's member, stroking him gently through his boxers. Seth moaned softly, his legs spreading subconsciously. Dean settled between the and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the head of Seth's cock.

Seth's arched, making to that much easier for Dean to slip his boxers off. Seth didn't protest, just watched as Dean's fingers wrapped around him once more, the skin on skin contact nearly making him dizzy. Dean moved closer to Seth's cock, and Seth could practically feel his warm breath. The blonde's lips parted, making Seth believe he was finally going to have his dick sucked, until...

"It'd be fun to have Roman here, right?"

Seth's eyes widened, and if his dick wasn't already fully hard, it was then. "Y-yeah..." He stuttered, whimpering as Dean started to stroke him again.

All at once, Seth's contact with Dean was cut off, and he whined, but was cut off when Dean held his phone in front of his face. "Call him."

"He's with the twins," Seth said, taking is phone and unlocking it.

"Call him anyways," Dean persisted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Seth rolled his eyes, and, while it was probably the worst phone conversation ever for Roman, it was damn good for him, because Dean gave him a blowjob the entire time.

* * *

><p>"You have a way to get home, right?" Brie asked as Roman got out of the car.<p>

"Yeah, I'm good," Roman said. "Thanks."

"Have fun!" Nikki exclaimed, Brie pulling away.

Roman just turned and walked to Seth's front door. He knocked, Seth's mom answering and telling him that they were upstairs. He thanked her and walked to the stairs normally, but darted as fast as he could without falling once he was out of her view. As he got to Seth's door, roman could hear muffled noises, and it had his heart beating a little faster. Briefly, he considered knocking, but they knew he was coming anyways. Roman opened the door slowly, only opening it as much as it needed to be for him to slip inside.

"Look who it is, Seth," All the air in Roman's body seemed to leave all at once as he saw Dean, on his back, with Seth sucking his dick. Dean pushed Seth's hair off his face so he could look at Roman.

"Hey..." Roman breathed out. "Uh, am I..."

"Roman, c'mere," Dean ended the sentence with a moan as Seth's lips touched the base of his cock, the head presumably hitting the back of his throat.

Roman made his way to the bed, taking off his shoes and socks as he went. Dean pulled him closer by his shirt, trying to bring Roman down. Roman leaned down, as Dean wanted, and was met by a pair of lips on his own. Dean's hand slipped into his hair, tugging every time Seth did a thing with his mouth. Every little sound from Dean went right into Roman's mouth, and he fucking loved it. Roman placed his hand on the back of Seth's head, not pushing, just resting, and he felt Seth start to raise up. Dean groaned, but he shut up as Seth pulled Roman into a kiss.

Roman reached down, grabbing a handful of Seth's ass and pulling him against this fully-clothed body. Seth whimpered, the little noise going straight to Roman's cock. And Seth, ever the bold little thing, reached down and began palming Roman through his shorts.

"Aren't you brave today?" Roman teased breathlessly, kissing Seth again.

"Learned it from Dean," Seth said, prompting Dean to sit up and start tugging at Roman's shirt again. Roman lifted his arms, allowing Dean to pull the shirt off. "Jesus fuck..." Seth whispered.

Seth took Roman's face in his hands, pulling him into another kiss. Dean pulled Roman up onto Seth's bed before kneeling behind the older teen. Dean began blindly undoing Roman's shorts, grunting every time he missed the button. Roman had to help him in the technical part of it, but Dean had no problem with just having to pull Roman's pants and underwear off (with some much appreciated assistance). The blonde's hands went straight to Roman's ass, his lips pressing a hard kiss to the back of Roman's neck.

"Seth," Dean mumbled, resting his chin on Roman's shoulder.

"Mhm," Seth could barely pull himself away from Roman, but he did it.

"Feel this," Dean took Seth's hands from Roman's face and guided them to aRoman's lower back, letting Seth do the rest of the work.

"Oh my god..." Seth muttered, his hands slipping over the curve of Roman's ass. "I need to start playing football."

"I'd love to see this cute little butt in a pair of football pants," Roman cheesed, kissing Seth's nose.

"Only you can be this sweet when you and your boyfriends are all naked." Dean let his head fall forward onto Roman's shoulder. "Lay down for me."

Roman nodded and did as he was told, maneuvering around and laying down on Seth's bed. He watched as Dean leaned over and whispered something in Seth's ear that had Seth blushing. The youngest teen pulled away, nodding shyly before straddling one of Roman's legs.

"Seth, what-" Roman cut himself off with a moan when Seth wrapped a hand around his cock and took the head into his mouth.

Seth didn't give himself any time to get used to having Roman's shaft in his mouth, he just started bobbing his head (probably gagging himself in the process). Dean straddled Roman's other leg, smirking up at the other teen. He tapped Seth's chin and he went up, only the head left in his mouth while Dean started kissing all the way down Roman's cock. Roman let out a broken moan, already too close to the edge for comfort.

Dean seemingly noticed this, seeing as he placed a hand on the back of Seth's head and pushed him down gently. Seth obliged happily, his own hand sneaking between his own legs. Just the mere sight of Seth in that position had Roman's belly doing backflips. Dean managed to lay right beside Roman, even on Seth's rather small bed, and pulled him into a kiss. Roman kissed back, letting Dean take full control. He reached over and took Dean's neglected cock in his hand, stroking him hard and sloppily, but it wasn't bothering anyone.

"Rome," Dean whimpered, face buried in Roman's neck. "I'm really close."

"Me too, oh fuck, Seth, baby boy, I'm gonna cum..." Roman moaned out, eyes opening to watch Seth take his cock out of his mouth. "Seth," Roman whined, shutting up as Seth opened his mouth wide and began jerking Roman off.

That one action set off a chain of events, Roman's back arching and toes curling as he - a bit guiltily - came all over Seth's face. Seth didn't seem bothered, not even when a little got in his hair, but he did come right after Roman. Dean was last, coming all over Roman's chest.

"Roman, you came on my face," Was the first thing that came out of any of their mouths for a solid five minutes. "And in my hair, man, screw you!"

Roman just laughed tiredly. "You let me do it!"

"That doesn't make it okay!" Seth swatted Roman's thigh and reached over the side of his bed, grabbing an old t-shirt and wiping his face and hand on it. "I need to get a washcloth."

Ten minutes later, they were clean, dressed, and exhausted, yet they'd never felt so close.

"Did you two plan that?" Roman asked, laying back down on Seth's bed.

"Dean told me to suck your dick, but I improvised on that last part," Seth explained, using Roman's stomach as a pillow.

"I'm actually kinda surprised you did that," Dean chuckled, stretched out beside Roman. "You blushed when I told you what to do."

"Because I was nervous," Seth grumbled, flicking Dean's hip.

Roman laughed again, running a hand through Seth's hair. "So, are we sleeping over?"

* * *

><p>and the award for most awkward sex scene ever goes to yours truly! this chapter is a week late, and i'm so sorry, but life doesn't really play fair for any of us. reviews are appreciated!<p> 


	16. Feel It Too

"Rome!"

"Seth, I'm sorry-"

"Why are you still hanging out with him?"

"He doesn't like me anymore," Roman sighed, pulling his shirt on. "It's just a walk, Seth. We aren't gonna do anything."

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Dean asked, tugging on Roman's belt loop.

"Brie just told me about it."

Dean and Seth both sighed, sitting back down on Seth's bed. It had been around three days since their little thing, and they'd been closer ever since. Of course, with a stronger relationship came a stronger attachment, and neither Seth nor Dean wanted Roman "taking a walk" with John. They were hanging out at Seth's house, getting ready to go to the beach, when Brie texted Roman and told him that John wanted to hang out. Obviously, some people (read, Seth and Dean) were upset. It's not that they didn't trust Roman, they just didn't trust John. Finding out that Roman had feelings for John at one point completely changed things for Dean and Seth.

Seth was nervous. He'd liked Roman for so long. And with John in the picture, it just made things harder. John was tall and muscular and grown-up, yet Seth was still slender with the slightest hints of muscle. John had a perfect smile, and Seth had a gap between his front teeth. John was John, and Seth didn't feel like he compared. Quite simply, Seth didn't think he was as good as John. If Roman started liking John again, he was screwed.

Dean was...something. He knew that John posed something of a threat, but he trusted Roman, which spoke volumes. Dean trusted nearly nobody. Yeah, John was attractive, no doubt. Roman just wasn't the type of person to drop two people because someone else came along. At least, Dean didn't see him that way. Roman was loyal, always had been, and so for him to leave Dean and Seth behind because a better deal came along seemed outlandish.

"It's nothing major," Roman kissed Seth and Dean's foreheads. "There are no feelings, okay? I only like you guys."

"Promise?" Seth asked, nearly making Dean chuckle at his feigned-innocence.

Roman did chuckle, though. "I promise," The oldest teen leaned down and kissed Seth, kissing Dean after getting a pinch on the side.

"Have fun," Dean called out as Roman left the room. "You do know that we're gonna have to prove that we like him the most, right?"

"Mhm," Seth mumbled.

"You're gonna have to bust that little move out again."

"God, that was so embarrassing," Seth groaned, covering his face with his hands and falling back on his bed.

"But you did it," Dean teased. "Where'd you even get that from?"

Seth shrugged. "I dunno. Girls do it, and the guy always seems to like it. I figured Roman would like it."

"Well I liked it a whole lot, if it counts," Dean chuckled as Seth groaned again. "Hey, let's go to the arcade."

"We haven't been there in like, three years," Seth retorted.

"Exactly."

* * *

><p>"Hey, so, thanks for meeting me," John said, looking over at Roman with a smile.<p>

Roman smiled back. "No problem, dude. We're still friends, even if you've seen me naked."

John blushed, looking down at the ground. Roman laughed quietly and looked ahead at the mostly uncrowded beach, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He'd been there with John so many times. They would go there all the time, before feelings ever got involved. It's like the sand had John's name all over it. Bringing Dean and Seth to he and John's spot almost felt wrong that day. Even if they weren't together, Roman felt some kind of attachment to John. Probably had something to do with that "first love" shit.

Admittedly, yes, John was Roman's first love. Roman didn't know what feelings were at that time. But something about he and John's "relationship" felt different than any crush Roman had previously had. The younger teen hadn't felt the way he felt towards John toward anyone else (before John, Dean and Seth pretty much made John look like a middle school crush). Mainly because all of his crushes were girls, Roman tended to overlook why John was different, but it always were farther than that. John was different, he was mature, he was new. The older teen was oddly enticing to Roman.

Roman glanced over at John, trying not to acknowledge that he was a good two inches taller than John. Of course, John was still all muscle and probably couldn't put his arms fully at his sides, yet Roman was taking that extra height and running. John seemingly noticed it too, because he smiled softly as he looked up at Roman.

"Shut up," John chuckled, looking ahead.

"I didn't say anything," Roman defended, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Just observing."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, stretch," John nudged Roman with his elbow, and Roman nudged him back.

They reached their spot, and both teens tensed. There were so many memories in that little sliver of beach. All Roman could think of was the last real night they spent there, about a week before John left prematurely for college.

* * *

><p><em>"I'm gonna miss you," John said, kissing the top of Roman's head. "You better not forget about me."<em>

_"You know I'd never be able to do that," Roman shot back, lifting his head up from John's shoulder. He leaned in and kissed John on the lips, making a soft little noise as John almost immediately slipped his tongue into Roman's mouth._

_John maneuvered around and gently pushed Roman down onto the sand, stopping any protests before they started by slipping his hand under Roman and cradling the other teen's head. Instead of trying to fight back, Roman only kissed back with more energy, letting John take full control of the kiss. He wrapped his arms around John's neck, desperately trying to bring the older teen in closer. John pushed Roman's hips down as he tried to arch up._

_"Stop," John mumbled against Roman's lips._

_"John, please," Roman hadn't begged like that...Roman hadn't begged like that, period. John shook his head._

_"No," John said simply, sitting up. "Especially not here."_

_"So, that's a never?" Roman asked quietly, sitting up along with John._

_"I wouldn't say never," John carded a hand through Roman's hair, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Maybe when you're older."_

* * *

><p>In that moment, the phrase "maybe when you're older" hurt quite a bit, but it hurt a lot less when Roman found out he only needed to be 4 days older. He glanced back at John, the older's blue eyes trained on the spot that they always sat. His arms were tense at his sides, his hands loosely balled into fists. Roman wanted to ask if he was alright, yet he felt like he already knew the answer. John was having the same thoughts as Roman, just a bit belatedly. John's eyes drifted away from the patch of sand and over to the crystal blue water, and up to Roman. He smiled, holding out his hand.<p>

"One more time?"

Roman smiled and took John's hand, letting the other teen lead him to their spot. John sat down first, Roman following soon after, setting right back into John's embrace like they'd just done it the day before. Expectedly, Roman had to slouch down a little more than usual, but he still fit. John kissed Roman's forehead, and Roman couldn't help but feel guilty about how his heart fluttered. No feelings for John, he thought, Deam and Seth, thats it.

John's finger's curled around Roman's hip, pulling the teen closer than he needed to be in that moment. Roman didn't protest, though. John probably needed it in that moment. He'd be being back to college soon, so the least Roman could do was spend a little time with John. It wasn't necessarily bad for him, either. It felt good to be back in John's arms. The feeling was the type of familiarity that never got boring or bothersome, it just felt right. Like Roman was supposed to be with John.

Which wasn't true, Roman knew, so he scooted away the slightest bit. John let him move, sliding his hand back. Roman looked over at John, the older boy's eyes once again focused intently on something that wasn't Roman, so Roman let himself stare. John's jaw was locked, his shoulders visibly tense, eyes practically unblinking; he nearly looked uncomfortable.

"Hey," Roman nudged John with his elbow, prompting the older teen to look at him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," John said quietly, eyes once again looking not at Roman.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Roman breathed out, John raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm with Dean and Seth. I know you liked me, and you may still like me, but I really like them."

"I get that," John nodded. "Feelings don't just go away that easily, though."

"So you were bullshitting."

"Not completely," John corrected. "I was over you, but barely. Now? I'm still kinda into you."

"You know we'd never work out, right?" Roman asks, turning and facing John. "You're gonna go back to college."

"I know that, Roman," John replied, turning his head just slighrly and looking at Roman. "If I wasn't thinking of that, I would'be already asked you out."

Roman's lips parted. "Then why'd you want to meet up with me?" He asked after a few moments.

"I'm going back to Boston soon," John explained. "I just wanted to spend a little time with you."

Riman sighed and, after a few seconds of deliberation, he was shuffling in front of John and wrapping his arms around the bigger teen's neck. He pressed a gentle, chaste kiss on John's smooth cheek, feeling John's arms wrap around his midsection. It was a bit of an awkward squeeze, with Roman kneeling between John's legs but John's arms still pulling him closer, but it was good for the moment. Roman kissed John's cheek again, this time for a bit longer.

John pulled back and looked Roman in the eye. God, he was going to regret what he was about to do, but he obviously didn't care. He surged forward, pressing his lips to Roman's in a brief kiss. Roman pulled away, blushing, grey eyes wide. He retracted his hands from John's neck and placed them on his own thighs, opening his mouth to say something, but only silence followed.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm gonna go home," Roman said quietly, standing up and brushing the sand from his legs. He turned and began making his way back down the beach, John watching him as he went.

* * *

><p>"Dean, let's get going," Seth poked Dean on the shoulder, watching the other teen purposefully crash in his game to stop it.<p>

"Think Roman's back?" He asks, taking Seth's hand without even thinking as they left the arcade.

"Should be," Seth said quickly, looking down at the ground as he felt his face heat up.

Dean smiled at the sight, but he didn't say anything. Seth was the youngest out of all of them (and the only one that hadn't actually, seriously dated someone), and it didn't surprise Dean all too much that he was reacting the way he was. Dating was a new thing for all of them, really. Dean nearly felt awkward at times, just between Roman and Roman _being_ Roman, and Seth being the cutest little thing on earth. Them just being themselves was almost odd.

The thing was, it never used to be odd. Roman was just caring and attentive and Seth was sensitive and energetic. Dean didn't label it the same way. When Roman smiled, it was different; his smile made his heart flutter, and his voice made his stomach do flips. He just wanted to wrap Seth up and never let him go. The boys were his boys, and his only. Dean had never had something like that before.

"It so weird," Dean said without thinking, earning a puzed look from Seth. He merely shrugged. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Us," Dean climbed into the driver's seat, waiting until Seth climbed in the passenger seat to start his old truck up. "Me, you, and Rome. It's weird, right? Just, two boyfriends at once, I mean, it's okay. We do it."

"You're rambling," Seth stated simply. "It might be weird, but we know that. It doesn't bother us."

"I didn't say it did," Dean replied, never taking his eyes off the road. "I just think it's weird to be dating any one at all. You and Roman, dude...you're great," He shook his head absently. "I look at you two differently."

"Good different or bad different?" Seth asked, a look of unmasked horror on his face as Dean drove. It was no secret that Seth did not like it when Dean drove. _Dean_ didn't like it when he drove.

"Good different," Dean answered. "Like, has it happened to you? 'Cause every time Roman smiles or something, I feel like I'm blushing. I get embarrassed when he kisses me," Seth looked like he deflated. "I feel the same was with you. I just, fuck, Seth, I wanna protect you, y'know?"

"If you wanted protect me you'd ask Roman to give you driving lessons," Seth chuckled at the hurt look on Dean's face. "And I'm kidding. Dean, I feel the same. I mean, not exactly the same because you don't need to be protected and I kinda wanna attack Roman's face all the time-"

"What kind of attack?"

"Shut up," Seth blushed lightly. "Anyways, I get it."

"Good," Dean reached over and grabbed one of Seth's hands, watching the younger teen's face turn pink as their fingers intertwined. "You're so cute."

"I'm gonna punch you in the dick, Dean."

* * *

><p>late update date because low motivation and life are things. reviews are appreciated.<p> 


	17. Hope For The Best

WOW it's been a month since i've updated this i'm so sorry

* * *

><p>Rain. Lots and lots of unnecessary rain that had Seth sitting by the window and pouting. Rain that had too much thunder and lightning for Dean to be comfortable. Rain that had Roman practically holding Dean in his lap while trying to make Seth stop pouting. Rain during the summer fucking <em>sucked<em>.

Seth wanted to go to the beach. Due to the aforementioned pout-inducing rain, they couldn't go. For the better part of two hours, Seth had been sitting at the window, brown eyes fixed on droplets rolling down the window, occasionally mumbling "stupid weather" under his breath. He was actually five. Roman was dating a five-year-old. He shook his head at the thought.

Dean just hated weather like that. It was something about his pre-Florida childhood that had him afraid of thunder and lightning. Well, not exactly afraid, just extremely uneasy. After three years of friendship, Roman had become accustomed to calming Dean down during storms. With their new found _whatever_ going on, it gave Dean even more of a reason to cuddle up with Roman.

And Roman, well, his planned trip to the next college had been canceled. Why, Roman wasn't sure. Probably because he was so entranced with Georgia. He was sticking to that. It probably wasn't the truth, but it was something. All that mattered was spending time with his boys.

Seth let his head fall against the window with an audible thud, making Roman sigh. The youngest teen didn't need to hear anything else, and was hopping off the windowsill and curling up on Roman's other side. He buried his face in Roman's neck, still mumbling about the _stupid rain_ and _stupid nature_ and _stupid everything_.

"You done?" Roman teased, carding a hand through Seth's hair. Again, Seth just mumbled. "Just gonna blame the weather?"

Seth nodded this time. "'s all rainy."

"I noticed," Roman kissed the top of Seth's head, smiling as the younger teen's face turned a light shade of pink.

"Shush," Dean grumbled from somewhere on Roman's left side, absently placing his hand directly on Roman's face.

Seth laughed quietly, Roman nipping at the palm of Dean's hand and making the other boy almost recoil. And, just like that, they were comfortable.

A month prior to that moment, Roman didn't think he'd have his two best friends cuddled up on either side of him. He didn't think he'd be calling them his boyfriends. He didn't think he'd be calling _anyone_ his boyfriend. He pretty much doubted he'd be dating anyone at all. And yet, there he was.

Dean's eyelashes fluttered lightly against Roman's neck, and the older teen smiled as he looked down at him. _He dosed off_, Roman thought. _How cute_. His leg was absently hiked up over Roman's, while his arm was wrapped around Roman's waist. Before, Dean was never particularly cuddly with Seth and Roman. He tended to keep his hands to himself (for the most part) and left Seth and Roman to do the touchy-feely bullshit. But now he was...okay. He wasn't afraid to hug and kiss his boys. Maybe it was that comfort that Roman was thinking of.

Seth, on the other hand, was wide awake, fingertips dancing over the waistband of Roman's shorts. His head was resting on Roman's chest, the back of his head the only thing Roman could see. Roman could feel just Seth fine, though. All warm and soft and unexpectedly delicate. Again, those teasing fingers swept over the waistband of his shorts, this time with the very tips slipping under the waistband.

"Don't go starting anything," Roman mumbled, pressing his lips to the back of Seth's head. He could feel the younger boy's smile against his chest.

"Who said I was starting something?" Seth asked softly, slipping his hand into Roman's shorts and, yes, starting something.

His thin fingers wrapped around Roman's mostly-limp cock, stroking him softly and slowly with what felt like an evil grin on his face. Seth lifted himself up so he could look at Roman. There was something about the look on his face - he looked more mature, _cunning_ almost - and it had Roman's heart racing a little bit. He'd known Seth since elementary school, when Seth was too little to reach the monkey bars so Roman would help him. Now Roman was panting softly as Seth jerked him off with the hungriest look in his eyes.

Seth leaned down and kissed Roman, and fuck, Roman felt nearly dizzy. Finally gathering his bearings, Roman reached up and began palming softly at Seth's cock, the obscene bulge in his shorts too tempting to ignore. He barely got the chance to touch Seth the last time they..._did stuff_. He'd take that chance and savor it.

"Jesus Christ, you're fucking beautiful," Seth moaned softly, his lips leaving Roman's while his head fell forward onto the older teen's shoulder. "You know that?"

The blush that bloomed on Roman's skin surely went all the way down to his chest. "I do now," Roman nosed Seth's hair to the side and pressed his lips to Seth's temple, simultaneously yanking Seth's shorts down to mid-thigh and wrapping his hand around Seth's bare cock.

"You really are," Seth breathed out, his hips jerking up into Roman's hand, but his pace never faltering with Roman.

Roman smiled and pressed his lips to Seth's temple once more, letting his hand speed up on Seth's cock. Seth's grip tightened ever-so-slightly, and it had Roman gasping and bucking up into Seth's fist. If Seth's soft and desperate moans were anything to go by, he was just about as close as Roman was. Seth turned his head and pressed his lips to Roman's in a sloppy kiss. Roman let out a moan, feeling Seth tense up before letting out a too-loud moan as he came. Just watching Seth come undone was enough for Roman, and he came soon after, carefully maneuvering Seth so he didn't slump down into a puddle of jizz.

"Wow," Roman breathed out.

"Mhm."

"You two are hot," Both teens jumped at the sound of Dean's voice, all rough and slow with sleep. "Gonna have to jerk off to that when I'm awake."

Seth groaned and buried his face in Roman's neck. "You're such a perv."

"The proper term is voyeur, you punk."

Roman chuckled from between them. "I'm covered in Seth's jizz right now."

"Yeah, well, it's all over my hand, so fuck you," Seth made his point by wiping his hand on whatever shirt he grabbed off Roman's floor, cringing as he realized it wasn't Roman's.

"Nice one, tiger," Dean mumbled, Seth dropping his come-covered band shirt.

"You two are jerks."

Roman smiled at how normal it all was.

* * *

><p>"Roman, sweetheart, can I talk to you?"<p>

Roman looked up from one of the assigned books he had to read, almost instantly tensing at his mom's tone of voice. It was the serious voice, the one she used when she was talking about his grades or his future. Roman set the book down and crossed his legs, watching his mom sit on the side of his bed.

"Do you remember the talk we had about Dean?"

"Mom..."

"Honey, your father wants to know. I want to know. That boy is practically another son, if Kathy and Stephen ever had trouble we'd take Dean in a heart beat," She placed a hand on Roman's knee. "I just want to know."

Because it was so incredibly easy to tell your mom that you're in a polyamorous relationship with your two best friends. Roman avoided her eyes, not saying anything for a solid few minutes. He wasn't sure what to say, or how to say it, for that matter. He loved Dean and he loved Seth (but his mom didn't exactly know about Seth). How would his parents take it? They'd always been real supportive of him, if he came out it didn't matter. Then again, both were pretty old school. Your son dating another boy was one thing, but your son dating two boys at one time? Unheard of.

Still avoiding his mom's gaze, Roman began picking at a loose thread on his comforter. The words now or never were constantly swirling around his mind, but it wasn't helping. When to do something wasn't going to help how someone would react. God, he just needed to get it over with, once and for all.

"I'm dating them."

"Them?"

"Seth and Dean," Roman's mom's eyes widened. Roman, meanwhile, regretted looking up. "I'm dating them. Both of them."

"Is it...separately...?" Her voice got quieter, more soothing, as if talking about it was hard for Roman.

"No," Roman shook his head. "I'm with them, they're with each other. It works for us."

She didn't say anything for a while. Almost mimicking Roman's silence, she looked down at her locked hands on her lap. Roman felt his heart speeding up. He wasn't sure what he'd do if his mom didn't accept him. As far as she knew, he was straight as an arrow, all of the girls chasing after him. Which was all kinds of funny, considering he'd never dated a girl before.

"I'm surprised."

Surprised, as if Roman didn't know that his confession would hit a parent like a slap in the face. Finally, she looked up, her expression nothing but caring and loving and calming. A small smile began appearing on her face, and Roman felt a breath he didn't realize he was holding escape him.

"So...?"

"You know those two are like more sons for me," His mom said. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. Just be careful, okay?"

"Mom, it's not like we've done anything-"

"It's my job as a mother to warn you," Her tone was stern, but she had a playful smile on her face. "You can't get anyone pregnant, though, so-"

"Mom!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Again, she reached out and placed a hand on Roman's knee. "But you will have to tell your father."

Roman tensed. His dad wouldn't take it nearly as well as his mom. Just the incident with his mom telling about his crush was enough to make Roman wary. What would he do if his dad didn't approve? He wouldn't let go of Seth and Dean, that was for sure. They meant too much to him. There was too much history, even before they started dating. Roman wouldn't lose them, no matter what.

He needed to calm down. He was thinking ahead, imagining the worst. Things could go terribly wrong, yeah, but things could also go terribly right. He just had to cross his fingers and keep his boys close.

* * *

><p>"Seth?"<p>

The brown-eyed teen turned around and looked at his mom. She looked...tired. She'd taken up an extra job since summer had started, seeing as neither Seth nor his brother were at home most of the time. Seth himself had thought of getting a job, just to take a load off his mom, but he couldn't find a job that would work for him. He felt guilty for not helping her, but she was always okay with Seth and his brother not helping. She certainly didn't like working so much, but she liked being able to provide for the family.

"Yeah?" Seth responded, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"How are you?" Her voice was soft and gentle.

"Fine."

"How are things with Roman and Dean? You've been hanging out with them quite a bit."

"We're all good," Seth loved his mom. Adored her. But he was never good at talking to her. It was one thing he envied about Roman; he had a strong relationship with both of his parents. Hell, even Dean had a decent relationship with Kathy. "Anything else you wanted to ask me?"

She hesitated. Crossing her arms against her chest, Seth's mom took in a deep breath. "Seth, sweetie, I'm so sorry-"

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"We're moving."

* * *

><p>intense, man, intense. that first scene is probably the best thing i've written, in my opinion. reviews are appreciated, let's see if we can get to 100!<p> 


	18. All Ending

There was no way in hell that he was moving. Things were finally going right for him. He was with Roman and Dean, he had a good group of friends, he had one more year left with Roman. Moving would fuck everything up. Here Seth was, thinking they were finally settled. They'd already moved when he was in second grade, and it was hard enough back then. Seth didn't want to imagine what things would be like if he moved at 16. Especially when he actually had things he was attached to. People he was attached to. He couldn't move.

Seth let out a soft breath through his parted lips, not even realizing he'd had his mouth open. "Moving?"

"Seth, baby, I'm so sorry-"

"Are you kidding me?" Seth wanted to raise his voice. He wanted to scream and kick and have a god damn temper tantrum right there in the middle of the kitchen. But he couldn't. "Why now? Why ever? I thought we were okay."

His mom sighed heavily, leaning against the counter. "I can't work two jobs anymore. Okay? I love you, and I love it here, but we can't afford it. Your grandparents have a big house, and they found a job I could have..."

Seth shook his head frantically, willing the stinging in his eyes to go away. "No," He breathed out. "No, no, no, no, mom, we can't go back to Iowa."

"We don't have a choice," His mom looked down, briefly, then back up at him.

"When?"

"Late August, maybe early September," She answered. "You'll get a little less than a month in school."

There was no point in arguing. Although it was soft, Seth's mom's voice held a tone of finality that always led to him losing. He could feel his hands shaking. The lump in his throat was hurting. Shaking his head, Seth turned around and ran up the stairs. He slammed his door once he was inside his room. If he hated anything, it was his mom seeing him cry. He was supposed to be the strong one.

He didn't know what to do. Dean and Roman were running rampant in his mind, but he couldn't just tell them. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to them seeing as he was moving in less than a month. Seth could feel his heartbeat speeding up again. His cheeks were wet - fuck, he was crying. His eyes flickered over to his phone, and for the briefest of moments, he thought it was a bad idea to grab it.

He called Roman anyways.

* * *

><p>"That tickles, you little shit," Dean chuckled, watching as Roman mouthed a lazy trail down his stomach while his long fingers traced random patterns on Dean's hips.<p>

"You love it," Roman shot back, his pouty pink lips finally reaching the waistband of Dean's shorts just as his phone rang. "Can you grab that?" Roman asks, giving Dean a pleading look as he catches an eyeroll.

"Better be real fucking important if I'm missing a blowjob for it..." Dean grumbled, reaching over and grabbing Roman's phone from the nightstand. "It's Seth."

"Go ahead and answer it," Roman waved his hand dismissively, his mouth returning to Dean's lower stomach.

Dean did just as he was told, but was greeted my Seth's frantic breaths upon answering. His heart started beating a little faster as he sat up, Roman following. The older teen's own eyes were wide with worry. "Seth?" No answer, just heavy, fast breathing. "Seth, answer me." Again, nothing.

Dean quickly handed the phone to Roman. "Seth?" The same look of fear that Dean had felt was plastered on Roman's face. "Seth, baby, what's wrong?"

"I'm moving," Seth quickly gasped out, his voice wavering and cracking and making Roman realize that he was crying. "I'm moving, fuck, I'm moving-"

"Baby, listen to me," Roman's voice was almost too calm, but it was good for Seth. "Can you calm down? Should we come over?"

"Please."

Roman huffed out a quick "bye" and hung up the phone. He grabbed Dean's shirt from the floor and tossed it to the younger teen, searching around for a pair of socks for himself. Dean's face was a perfect picture of fear. It broke Roman's heart to see him like that. Actually, it kind of broke his heart to see Seth and Dean be anything less than happy, but he wasn't dwelling on that. Roman grabbed a random pair of socks (that most likely weren't his), and took Dean's hand before exiting his room.

"He said he was moving, Rome," Dean stopped at the top of the stairs, and Roman turned around to look at him. "He's leaving."

"Hey, hey, we don't know that for sure," Roman walked back up the stairs and pulled Dean into a tight hug. "Don't get all worked up."

Dean nodded and followed Roman down the stairs without another word. Roman, though, could practically read his mind. The way Dean loved was different than the way Roman loved. It came naturally to Roman, which sucked on most occasions, but it took a lot for Dean to actually care about someone as much as he cared about Seth - and Roman, for that matter. Roman had discovered that early on in their friendship; Dean kept everyone and everything at arms length, never wanting to get attached to anything that could leave him. But when he finally let his guard down, it was like a whole new person being introduced. A new, beautiful, kind person every time. Dean was made of brick walls, and Roman wanted to break them all.

Fifteen minutes later, Seth's mom was letting Dean and Roman into the house while giving them a sympathetic smile. She knew exactly what was happening. She knew Seth was freaking out. It wasn't right. Upon walking into Seth's room, both teens had to stop and stare at him for a few moments. He looked exactly like Roman had imagined; tummy heaving, cheeks flushed and wet with tears, bottom lip quivering as he caught sight of his boys. Dean let Roman go forward first, knowing that the older teen was better at the whole consolation thing.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," Roman sat on Seth's bed and gently pulled the younger teen into his lap, letting him bury his face in his neck. Dean climbed in after him, placing a gentle hand on Seth's back. "Just calm down, you're alright, baby."

Seth rested his face on Roman's shoulder, blindly reaching back to grab Dean. He felt the blue-eyed teen's hand on his waist, and calmed down. He just needed his boys. Not the stress, not the sadness, he just needed to be with Dean and Roman and he'd be okay.

"What's with this moving stuff, Seth?" Dean asked, watching as the youngest teen's eyes filled with tears once more.

"I'm moving," Seth breathed out, wiping the stray tears away. "To Iowa."

Roman tensed. Dean noticed, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Seth, meanwhile, just cuddled a little closer to the bigger boy. "When?"

Seth looked down. He started playing with the hem of Roman's shirt, worrying his bottom lips between his teeth.

"Seth."

"End of August."

It came out in a soft little whisper, but it filled the room like a flood. Seth didn't look up. Dean let his head fall forward and rest on the back of Seth's neck, letting out a soft breath. Roman, meanwhile, was - Roman. He was looking at Seth's door, and anybody could've seem that he wanted to say something. Problem was, there was nothing to say. Nothing could've been changed. It hurt to admit it, but Seth knew it was the truth. Roman couldn't be the valiant warrior all the time, could he?

"If I have to, I'll shove you in my suitcase and bring you to Georgia with me," Roman carded a hand through Seth's hair and kissed his forehead. "You'll get to go to college with me next year."

Maybe he could be.

"Fuck that, he's going under my bed," Dean mumbled, pulling Seth against him. "He's small enough."

This was how it should've been. Between them, with them, everything was better. They were stark contrasts to each other, but it was a perfect balance. Dean's abrasive nature could be softened in an instant by Roman. If it came down to it, Dean could calm Roman down like it was nothing. Not to mention, they both cared about Seth. It was the way it should've been, all of them together, balancing each other out, softening those rough edges.

And now, it was ending.

* * *

><p>woo! short, late update because i'm kinda losing my mind over how awful i am and how bad this is. my plot bunny ran away from me, and somehow the writing bug just left me too, so there was nothing helping me write. but, i'm back now, and i'll be updating just a little bit of your heart soon. thank you for reading!<p> 


	19. Can't

Things had been better since Seth told them the news. Dean and Roman were at his house constantly. Dean's parents had gotten used to Dean always being out of the house. Even if they didn't know about the three teens' dynamic, they both knew how important Seth was to Dean. Roman's parents were pretty much the same, only Roman's mom would give him a knowing smile when he'd go rushing out the door with a wave and a dismissive call of "Seth's place!" Thank goodness for her and her ability to accept Roman, and what he did.

One text sent by Seth would have him practically smothered by the older boys. He took it gladly, not-so-surprisingly. He'd ask them to help him pack. Even if nobody liked doing it, and it sent a simultaneous pang through all of their hearts, they stomached it. Neither Roman nor Dean were willing to lose it in front of Seth. The poor kid was already losing it himself...

Roman and Dean knew something was different. When Seth had told them he was moving, he was alright at first. He had the assurance of Dean and Roman always being around. But, as time went on, he'd almost shrunken in on himself. He rarely ever tried to talk to them, he kept the physical contact to a minimum. He shied away from Roman's kisses. He wriggled out of Dean's embraces, and there were a _lot_ of them. Roman had managed to hide his hurt. Seth was going through a lot, and he'd never been good at handling situations like the one he was in, so Roman was willing to put on a brave face for Seth's sake. Dean, not so much. You could practically see him deflate when Seth would scoot away from him. After about a week, Seth stopped inviting them over.

Dean still invited himself to Roman's.

"Did we do something wrong?" The blue-eyed boy asked, his voice doing nothing to hide how hurt he was.

"Absolutely not, Dean," Roman shook his head, wrapping an assuring hand around the back of Dean's neck. "He just needs space. He's got a lot going on."

Dean shuffled forward, resting his face on Roman's shoulder, his arms wrapping around the bigger teen's midsection. "I wanna help, Rome."

"I do too," Roman sighed and sat back against his headboard, bringing Dean with him. "I just don't want to make him uncomfortable."

Dean nuzzled a little further into Roman's neck. His hands slid around to rest on Roman's hips, his thumbs tucking under the hem of his worn t-shirt while his lips started leaving little kisses on his neck. Roman knew exactly what he was doing. Even before they started dating, Dean always had something for physical reassurance. A pat on the back, someone ruffling his hair. Since they'd all gotten a bit more serious, Dean's needs became a bit more than just a hand on his shoulder.

"Ambrose..."

"Roman, you know that I need this right now-"

Roman just grabbed him by the back of the head and kissed him. Dean made some choked noise in the back of this throat and wrapped his arms around Roman, practically clinging onto the older teen. Roman kissed him back calmly, capturing Dean's plump bottom lip between his own before releasing it, working over his lips like he'd been doing it for years. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to keep Dean grounded, keep him distracted. Even so, Dean was squirming around on Roman's lap.

"Fucking - _off_," Dean growled, pulling at Roman's shirt almost angrily.

So it was one of _those_ days.

Roman almost immediately reacted, pulling his shirt off and throwing it on the ground. He quickly pushed his hands under Dean's shirt, tugging the garment off and throwing it somewhere in his room. Dean leaned forward and pressed his lips to the hollow of Roman's throat, earning a breathy moan and a tight-gripped hand in his hair.

"Lay down," Roman groaned. "You said you needed this."

Dean nodded and complied. Roman scooted between his legs, and he couldn't help but take a second to admire how good Dean looked. All toned, sinewy muscle under tan skin that had certainly got the best of summer. The older teen rested a hand on Dean's hip, the other next to his head, before leaning down and peppering Dean's neck and chest in soft kisses. Dean was twitching under him. Roman couldn't help but smile. He moved down a bit and - looking straight up into Dean's already half-lidded eyes - licked over a hardened pink nipple. Dean whimpered a bit and his back arched, but Roman continued his trip downwards. He kissed down Dean's stomach, all the way down to the waistband of his shorts. Roman had since removed his hand from Dean's hip, and Dean took that opportunity to arch his hips up towards Roman's face.

"Are you aware of what patience is?" Roman asked, another big hand coming to rest right on Dean's lower belly.

"Yes," Dean snapped, wriggling his hips in an attempt to get closer to Roman. "I just don't like it very much."

Roman rolled his eyes and went back to teasing Dean, paying extra close to those hip dents that Dean was oh-so-proud of. He even went so far as to leave a little mark. Dean wouldn't notice.

Dean's shorts were already slung low on his hips, so Roman didn't have to do much more than gently tug them down. The older teen could hear Dean as his breath caught. Smirking, Roman pressed a gentle kiss to the head of Dean's cock while he pulled his shorts the rest of the way down. A hand was tangled in Roman's hair, and the grey-eyed boy didn't hesitate to run his tongue along Dean's length.

"Fuck..." Dean breathed out, brows furrowing as Roman moved back up and started kissing his neck. "Rome-?"

There was some kind of shuffling, and a piece of fabric hit the ground. Dean belatedly realized that it was Roman's shorts. He gasped as Roman's big hand wrapped around both of their members, back arching involuntarily. Roman dropped down and rested on one elbow, his face pressed into the crook of Dean's neck while his hand continued to move at a leisurely pace. Dean grunted and strapped an arm over Roman's shoulders, canting his hips up towards Roman's hand.

"Stop it," Roman growled, stilling his hand altogether. Dean whined unashamedly, bucking up into Roman's fist. The older teen's grip loosened. "I can stop right now, Dean."

"Don't you fucking dare," Dean exclaimed, raising his other hand to tangle in Roman's hair and bring him in for a kiss.

Since when could a handjob be so intimate? Dean felt the blush spreading from his face and down to his neck and chest. He could've sworn it got darker when Roman pulled away from Dean's lips and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Dean moaned softly and nuzzled his face into Roman's neck. He felt the older teen's hair hanging around them like a curtain, those long, dark strands making Dean feel almost safe.

Roman's tantalizingly slow pace started to catch up to Dean, and he felt that tell-tale spring in his belly uncoiling. He was close, and Roman's grip was getting tighter, and fuck if he planned on holding off any longer.

"Rome, babe, fuck," Dean whimpered, his hand in Roman's hair tightening. "'m close..."

"Me too," Roman's voice had risen an octave, and it had Dean's heart racing. "C'mon, come with me."

It only took a few more pumps of Roman's hand, and Dean was coming all over both of their stomachs with a moan that he really should've tried to muffle. Roman came soon after, smart enough to bury his face in Dean's neck as he moaned through his climax. Roman dropped down, half of his body on Dean's. Dean didn't protest.

"Thank you," Dean finally said after he gained his breath.

Roman smiled and kissed Dean's cheek softly. "I gotta take care of my boy, right?"

Dean couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, you do," He said, carding a hand through Roman's hair. "But I have to take care of you, too."

"You already have."

* * *

><p>"Mom, can I go meet up with Roman and Dean?"<p>

Seth's mom raised an eyebrow, looking up from the box of China she had been bubble-wrapping. "You're going out?"

His heart sped up for a few seconds before he realized the real explanation behind the question. "Uh, yeah," Seth nodded. "They think it'd be good for me to get out of the house, y'know?"

She just nodded. Seth smiled softly and walked out the door, making his way down the walkway and half the block before he noticed Brie and Nikki's car. He climbed in the backseat without a word, pointedly ignoring the concerned look Nikki sent his way. He just wanted out. He didn't want to see Dean and Roman. He _couldn't_. As it was, Brie and Nikki would very likely castrate him after what he planned on telling them.

He'd texted Brie out of panic. He needed somebody to talk to, and he'd made it very clear that Roman and Dean were out of the question. Brie was the first person he thought of. She adored Roman when she was in high school and, in turn, adored Seth and Dean (more Seth than Dean; Dean preferred Nikki). Brie was easy to talk to, so Seth had always relied on her in moments when Roman and Dean weren't available. That's why Brie was so willing to be at Seth's house, with Nikki in tow.

They rode to the beach in silence, both twins letting Seth gather his bearings. It was a solid fifteen minutes before Seth actually spoke up.

"I can't."

"Can't what, Seth?" Nikki asked, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"I can't be with them anymore."

* * *

><p>short chapter with a cliffhanger! how are brie and nikki gonna react? we're nearing the end of summer, folks! reviews are greatly appreciated.<p> 


	20. Special

Brie was silent. She turned her head away from Seth, her eyes trained on something in the water in front of them. Nikki's head was cocked to the side. She wanted to ask. Seth knew she did. The two of them were just processing the new information; Seth had just told them that he wanted to break up with the guys that were like little brothers to them. Seth wouldn't be surprised if they were to get up and leave at that moment.

Nikki placed a gentle hand on his back, and he felt his racing heart slow down. Her touch was calming, anchoring. It was like being yanked down and out of the cloud he'd been floating in. Even so, Seth still couldn't shake the feeling of guilt in his gut. Brie hadn't looked at him in a few minutes. Her hands were folded in her lap, effortlessly elegantly, and her face was unreadable. Seth felt the lump rising in his throat before she even stood up and walked in the general direction of the car. He didn't make an effort to wipe that tear away. He knew he shouldn't have told anybody...

A soft hand was wiping the falling tears away. Seth looked over at Nikki, who had a small smile on her face, despite his past revelation. Believe it or not, she was a bugger softie than Brie. She was a bit better at consoling people, while Brie was a bit more serious in any situation. They balanced one another out. Twenty years together'll do that for you, Seth mused.

"She's just upset," Nikki assured him. "You know how much she loves Roman. He's like another brother to her."

Seth nodded. If he remembered correctly, Roman had talked about how Nikki and Brie had taken it upon themselves to show Roman around during his first few days in high school. They'd become quick friends, which was no surprise. Roman was the people person to end them all. Brie was the first person Roman told abut having a possible interest in guys. He told her about his situation with John, which Seth and Dean had only just recently gotten full detail on. That, and Roman had defended Brie's boyfriend on more than a few occasions. Brie, in short, was very protective of Roman, and Roman was the same towards her.

"Why do you want to break up with them?" Nikki asked, catching Seth off guard. He looked up from his shoes, obviously surprised.

"Uh..." He trailed off, his eyes leaving Nikki once more. "It's stupid."

"I'm sure it isn't."

Seth sighed. What could it possibly hurt? "I'm leaving, Nic. I can't just stay with them until the day I leave. They'll drift away from me, drift closer together. It's best if I just call it off now instead of waiting for the inevitable."

"That's your reason?" Nikki asked, brows furrowed. "You're...you don't want to break up with them, so you're breaking up with them?"

"No," Seth groaned. "I just don't want to feel like I'm losing them. It's better not to have them at all than to lose them over time."

Nikki nodded slowly. Seth couldn't tell if she got it or not. He didn't plan on elaborating any more, though. He'd shared. He'd cried, he'd ran Brie off, he'd admitted that he's a coward who can't handle a long-distance relationship. Nikki didn't need to know anything else.

"Well..." She trailed off. "I'm gonna go check on Brie. Do you need a ride?"

Seth shook his head.

"Alright. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Seth nodded, staring straight ahead. He heard footsteps muffled by sand retreating. Part of him wanted to pull his phone out and invite Roman and Dean to meet up with him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Keeping them close would only make things hurt more. Besides, they'd left him alone, for the most part. They didn't need him. He obviously wasn't missed, judging by the lack of visits and calls and texts. After a few days, they all stopped.

The end of July was fast approaching. He'd be moving on August 12th (his mom had managed to get an official date). Their house was already more than halfway packed up. Seth didn't want to leave, not at all, but he couldn't just stay. He'd tried that. He'd just have to go into his junior year alone. He'd miss Roman's graduation, guaranteed; his mom hated traveling, no matter how close or how far. But, upon further evaluation, Roman probably wouldn't want him there anyways. Maybe he'd finally gotten tired of Seth. The younger teen wouldn't blame him.

He couldn't leave the two of them thinking they could all still be together. He knew, he fucking knew that it wouldn't work. It was easier to call it off before he left than to wait for it to stop. Delaying the inevitable wouldn't make things better.

* * *

><p>"Roman?"<p>

The dark-haired teen looked up from the pamphlet he was reading, closing it when he saw his had leaning against a chair. His heart sped up a bit. He knew exactly what conversation was coming. His mom had told him the day before, right after Dean left, that she'd told his dad about his current situation. Something about him stalling and not telling his dad something important about his life, he'll find out sooner or later, whatever. He didn't tell his dad, true. Thing was, he couldn't.

His dad wasn't as accepting as his mom. His dad had an image of what kind of sone he wanted, as did any parent, and a kid that's dating two guys at once was not in the description. Couldn't this conversation wait a little? At least until he was in college, so his dad couldn't kick him out of the house. He wasn't asking for much.

Roman shifted in his chair, setting the college pamphlet down. His dad just looked down at him.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad," just disappointed. "I just don't know why you haven't told me yourself."

Roman's eyebrows shot up, his face falling into a confused expression as his dad pulled out a chair and sat down across him. "What?"

"Your mother told me how she'd known for weeks. Why have you not told me about this?"

"I kinda like living in this house..."

His dad let out a chuckled. "I guess I gave you that kind of message, huh?" Roman nodded. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I was overjoyed. It's strange to hear about your son dating two boys, at once at that."

Again, Roman nodded. "I expected that."

His dad sighed. "I won't berate you. This is your life, you can make your own decisions, and while I may not be extremely happy about them, you're seventeen. You have one year left in school. You're moving out in a year. You're an adult, Roman. I can't tell you what you can and cannot do."

"You can," Roman's mom walked around the corner from the stairs, standing behind his dad. "We just don't do it right now. You're old enough to differentiate between right and wrong. We shouldn't have to hold your hand through everything."

"So...?"

"So, do what you want. Be with them. We can't hold you back from what, evidently, makes you happy," his mom gave him a small smile.

Roman couldn't do anything but nod.

* * *

><p>Everyone who knew Seth was aware of him moving. Sure, everyone had a hint of sadness in them, but nobody had taken it harder than Dean. Seth was special to him. Not just in a <em>he's my boyfriend<em> type of way, but in a _he's just as much of a misfit toy as I am, and I really fucking care about him_ way. From the day Dean met seth, he was oddly attracted to the little twig boy. Of course, Roman had urged them to become friends. Fucking Roman. Meddling since the seventh grade.

Even so, Dean couldn't help but look at the lanky 13-year-old that he had somehow befriended. His voice took a little longer to deepen, and he'd squeal whenever he got mad. He had a collection of wrestling Pay-Per-Views on DVD (which he was all to excited to show off; Roman just watched with a smile), and got excited about Dean's equally as impressive collection (Roman took all of it in stride, and happened to watch just as much as they did). And that was his life until freshman year. The kid from Ohio who was oddly protective of the skinny kid from Iowa and the big linebacker that everyone looked up to, literally, watching every wrestling production seth could possibly get his hands on, because it made the kid happy. You couldn't say no to Seth's big brown eyes and gap-toothed smile.

Come high school, Dean and Seth practically had their own bodyguard. Roman must've expected people to pick on the noodle with partially-red hair and the twitchy kid from out of town. And that's all they were. Dean and Seth weren't Dean and Seth in that school. They were that kid and those guys. Roman was Roman, star linebacker and college prospect. Everyone knew Roman. Dean loved Roman, no doubt, but he could connect with Seth because, well, Seth was pretty damn similar to him. Kids from out of state who'd been picked on their entire lives. Kids who were perfect buddies for the most popular kid in school.

Seth leaving was like a part of Dean leaving. Seth withdrawing from them was like ripping that piece away slowly, just waiting for it to come off completely. Problem was, Dean didn't want to lose that piece of him.

"Dean, mom's concerned."

Dean rolled his eyes as Trevor invited himself into his room. He'd never actually improved at this big brother shit. Trevor had just recently turned 14. He was tall, like his dad. He was growing, but it was the awkward kind of growing when your legs are too skinny and you look like a bobble head with acne.

"Trev, let me let you in on a secret," Dean sat up and faced Trevor. "You do not walk into someone else's room without asking, alright?"

"I didn't come in here to be chastised," he shot back, sneering at Dean.

"Exactly. You came in here to be annoying," Dean stood up and put his hands on Trevor's shoulders, grateful for the growth spurt that he'd had over the summer. "Mission accomplished, kid." Dean patted him on the back and shoved him out the door. So much for his mom not being concerned.

* * *

><p>WOO. CHAPTER. CONSISTENT WEEKLY UPDATES. SMALL VICTORIES ARE STILL VICTORIES PEOPLE.<p>

(also, with the end of this story approaching, i have a new story in the works! thing is, I need pairings! tell me what pairings you may like to see in a fanfic!)


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